Books.

 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Daniel 11:45; 12:1,2

Truly this part is something we need to pay attention to - 'thy people shall be delivered- everyone that shall be found written in the book, many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake'-   Deliverance and a book with names.  This is what the Word of God tells us this about books and names-  

Exo_32:32  Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of THY BOOK which thou hast written.

Exo_32:33  And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Those who sin against God will be taken out of God's book.

Psa_69:28  Let them be blotted out of the BOOK OF THE LIVING, and not be written with the righteous.

There is a book of the living, the righteous.

Mal_3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

Book of Remembrance- them that feared and thought upon the LORD.

Php_4:3  And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the BOOK OF LIFE.

…whose names are in the book of life.

Rev_3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the BOOK OF LIFE, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Book of life.

Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 

Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Rev_13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB slain from the foundation of the world.

…whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev_17:8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the BOOK OF LIFE from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

…whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world…

Rev_20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the BOOKS were opened: and another BOOK was opened, which is the BOOK OF LIFE: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Books were opened… another book was opened, which is the book of life…those thing which were written in the books according to their works.

Rev_20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the BOOK OF LIFE was cast into the lake of fire.

…not found written in the book of life…

Rev_21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE.

…they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev_22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,  shall take away his part out of the BOOK OF LIFE, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

…God shall take away his part out of the book of life…

Going back to Daniel's prophecy-

We know this prophecy in the Book of Daniel tells us that GOD'S people are going to be delivered at this point.  EVERYONE that is written in the book of LIFE, this is the book meant here in Daniel. There is no other book that has to do with deliverance for God's people. To know that we are given a prophecy that talks specifically of  God's people being delivered, the living and the dead, is truly amazing! Read it again…

Dan 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and AT THAT TIME THY PEOPLE SHALL BE DELIVERED EVERYONE THAT SHALL BE FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK. 

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Jesus stands up, His work in the heavenly sanctuary is complete, all intercession for those who would accept Him as their Savior is over. The Sanctuary in heaven has been completely cleansed and the sins of the entire world are being readied to be placed upon the head of the author of all evil, Satan. With all sin cleansed that will ever be cleansed, the very last plea for forgiveness causing the precious blood of the Savior to be needed to cover and blot out that sin, has been made. No more pleas for forgiveness, no more contrite hearts to cry out for forgiveness, no more repentance sought for sins made and despised. The work is over and the time is at hand and ALL who are Christ's will be redeemed- those still living, and those who have died throughout the many thousands of years who died in His mercy. 

This is truly a prophetic utterance of the very last moment before we are redeemed. 

Knowing that there is going to a TIME OF TROUBLE such as never was right before the Lord's return gives us information we need. There will be a TIME, a period of time will take place and we don't know how long this will be- but we know it will be right before the Lord returns to save us all, all meaning those who are His. This time of trouble is going to be unlike any other in all of history, and our history books tell us of some very awful times of trouble in the past. Some people are living right now in a time of trouble such as they'd never experienced before, but this TIME of TROUBLE to come is going to be worldwide- could it be any less? The entire world will be involved in the horror to come as Satan makes his last stand before he is to be bound and cast to the wilderness as the goat on the day of Atonement. It's no wonder that this time of trouble is going to be the worse the earth has ever seen. We know for a fact that even human beings have been known to want to kill as many people as they can before they themselves are killed. How much more will the father of all evil want to commit horror and destruction as his last stand. This isn't fiction, though there have been fictional mediums that have depicted the end of the world and Satan. This will be reality and it is a reality that we will, by the grace of God live to see, or rise to know has occurred. As horrific as it will be, I do pray that I am written in God's book of life and that I can bear witness to all that will happened right up to my deliverance by the grace and mercy, the love of my Savior, all through HIS strength, through the HOLY SPIRIT! May God's will be done, now and forever! 

Has the beast planted his tabernacle in Jerusalem as of yet? 

Dan 11:45  And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. 

The tents of his palace. Not his palace, but a representative of his palace.  It's not there yet and this is why we watch.  Our limited comprehension of what this must be is just that- very limited. We must watch Jerusalem. Our eyes must be turned to Jerusalem. Will we know when the tents are planted? I don't know to be truthful, but prophecy is given for a reason and we are given the knowledge of the tabernacles of his palace being planted in Jerusalem. When this planting takes place the end of the beast occurs THEN at that time… simultaneously with the end… Christ finishes His work in heaven. Is it any wonder our eyes should be watching Jerusalem. Mankind's probation will be over. Will we know this? Will we have this knowledge as the time of the worst trouble to ever take place, comes? 

I don't have all the answers, I do know that in 70AD - 1,952 years ago, Jerusalem was taken over by Rome and from then until 1967 - 1,897 years later- Jerusalem was out of the control of the Jewish leadership and under a form of Gentile control. Then in 1980 the seat of the Jewish government was moved to Jerusalem solidifying their control. In Luke 21:24 we are told there would be a Times of the Gentiles fulfilled. Prophecy concerning Jerusalem took place! The Gentiles NO longer control Jerusalem. And we know there is a future prophecy concerning Jerusalem that has YET to take place, the planting of the tabernacles.  

Our eyes have been drawn to Jerusalem, we are awake and watching. God help us to see all we need to see, to know all we need to know- all to be HIS children, forgiven and redeemed by Jesus Christ! 

You Are of the (Faith of Abraham Pt 7)

 Jesus took 12 Jewish men and made them His Apostles. 

Jacob had 12 sons- all of them Jewish. The 12 Tribes of Israel.

The New Jerusalem -  when ALL who are going to be Jesus' are with Him,  will be in the NEW EARTH, that NEW CITY comes from God out of heaven itself to earth!

Rev_21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev_21:12  …and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the NAMES OF THE TWELVE TRIBES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISREAL:

Rev_21:14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the NAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF THE LAMB.

If you are a Christian you will live in the New Jerusalem with its 12 gates engraved with the 12 names of the Tribes of the Children of Israel, and the 12 names of the Apostles. Think about that for a very long moment, especially all of you who want nothing to do with anything Jewish. 

How wondrous is the Jewish heritage we ALL share. Yes, I said ALL because not a single one of us who belong to Jesus Christ does not have a Jewish heritage THROUGH HIM. We are grafted on to the vine, we are made into the children of Abraham.

Gal 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 

Gal 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 

Gal 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 

WE ARE OF FAITH, are we not? If you are of FAITH you are a child of Abraham, the Jewish patriarch. So many CHOOSE to forget that our SAVIOR WAS JEWISH! They like to erase that part of Him and retain the Son of God, the Spirit seed part that they don't consider to be Jewish because that essence was only God which merged into the Jewish woman Mary's essence to become the human Son of God.  They let it slip from any consideration that they are truly part JEWISH if they are of the faith of Jesus! This is truth that Satan would much rather we forget about.  Does our being part Jewish through faith make us followers of the Jewish faith without Jesus? No. We are Jewish through faith and we follower the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, who took His faith and brought the truth of THAT faith to all. To distinguish it from the Jewish faith that continued to exist and practice the rites of the Jewish faith that were null and void after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the new Jewish led faith became known as Christians. Being a Christian means being a Jew by faith, and particularly a child of the Jewish Abraham, a child of God, a child of the Jewish Jesus- you cannot say He was not a Jew, you just can't. You follow the Son of God, a Jewish man who lived a life of a Jewish person from birth to death. Jesus did not turn into some mystical non-Jewish person upon His resurrection. He will forever retain a Jewish heritage, forever.

Why is this important? Because it's truth. Jesus taught that one of the greatest commandments is to LOVE OTHERS, without exception! Yet so many have a multitude of exceptions to who they choose to bestow their love upon. We are to LOVE others. It is the angels job at the end to separate those who are God's and those who aren't, it's NOT our job!  So, before you point your finger at other faith followers and declare them worthy of your hatred, your derision, your disdain remember even if they do not worship Jesus, they are still potential children of His and it's not your place to rob anyone of their chance to belong to Jesus as He may lead them to Him, and the way He leads them may have nothing to do with your preaching Jesus at them. They might not choose to follow Jesus for several years, you don't know! You have no way to know! ALL are potentially Jesus', ALL without exception. All will be given a chance, and it's not your place to determine when that chance happens. Don't ever consider yourself so important that you believe you are the only instrument to lead someone to Christ and His truth. 

God help us all to be His, through Jesus Christ our Lord and SAVIOR, now and forever, all through His mercy and grace, His forgiveness, His love!!!!!!! Amen!

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The Faith of Abraham Pt. 6 CHAPTER V. THE COVENANT WITH ISRAEL

From yesterday…

Are we to conclude, then, that all were lost who lived under that covenant, because they were all sinners, and it contained no power of forgiveness? By no means. A consideration of a few texts of Scripture will make this point clear.

1. Our Lord Jesus reminded his hearers that circumcision was not of Moses, but of the fathers. John 7:22. ((Joh 7:22  Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. ))It was a token, not of the covenant made with the twelve tribes of Israel, but, of the covenant made with the FATHERS. They were ALREADY the covenant children of Abraham,--under a covenant of faith and grace. Hence, when the law condemned them, the law which they had so solemnly promised to obey, they were turned back as their only refuge TO THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM. 

Of this covenant the true seed of Abraham, Christ the Messiah, was the appointed mediator. 

In this manner the LAW SERVED TO BRING THEM TO CHRIST. Gal. 3:24. 

((Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.))

As they only who are sick need a physician (Matt. 9:12-((But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick)), so must the sinner be convicted of his malady before he will apply to the great Physician for healing. And as by the law is the knowledge of sin, and by the law sin is made to appear exceeding sinful (Rom. 3:20; 7:13-- ((((Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. ))), nothing but the law can convince anyone of his need of a Saviour, and bring him to Christ for salvation.

How inefficient, then, to lead to genuine conversion, are all proposed systems of gospel teaching which ignore the law of God.

Continued…

2. That this position is correct, is proved by Paul in Gal. 3:16, 17, where he declares that "the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. Compare with Rom. 5:20. ((Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound))) There were many righteous, faithful ones, of whom Paul said the time would fail him to mention, who through faith wrought righteousness, out of weakness were made strong, not accepting deliverance when they were tortured, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Their faith was in every respect truly evangelical; and having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, but saw it afar off, thus confessing, as did Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that they were only pilgrims and strangers on the earth. But not one was saved by virtue of the covenant made at Horeb; THEIR FAITH WAS THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, whose children they were.

The object of this covenant is further shown in the system of types or ceremonies given to them. Immediately after the covenant was ratified with the children of Israel (Ex. 24:1-8), God called Moses unto him into the Mount, where he gave him the system known as the ceremonial law. At the first the Lord commanded Moses to take from the people an offering of various valuable articles, and therewith to make a sanctuary, that he might dwell among them. The definition of this word as given by Cruden is as follows: "A holy or sanctified place, or dwelling place of the Most High." This is correct according to the etymology of the word, and according to what the Lord said: "Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Ex. 25:8.

The sanctuary made by the children of Israel, under the direction of Moses, was a temporary or movable building, consisting of two rooms, the first called the holy, the second the most holy. In the first were a golden lampstand with seven lamps, a table of show bread, and a golden altar of incense. In the second or most holy was an ark containing the two tables of stone on which God himself had written his covenant, or law of ten commandments. And this was the only thing that was permanently kept in the most holy place. See 1 Kings 8:9.(((1Ki 8:9  There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. ))))

The order for making the ark, including its description and use, or object, is found in Ex. 25:10-22, as follows:--

"And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. . . . And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. "And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end; of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. "And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." 

But that was not the only place in the sanctuary in which the Lord said his glory should be manifested; we read as follows:-- 

"This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord; where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory." Ex. 29:42, 43. "There was to be a continual burnt-offering at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, or holy place, and the priests daily went into the holy place to trim the lamps and to burn incense. Ex. 30:1-8. But, as Paul says (Heb. 9:7), "into the second went the high priest alone, once every year." The order of the service in the most holy place is given in Leviticus 16. Verse 29 says this service shall take place on the tenth day of the seventh month, and from the nature of the service that day was called the day of atonement. See Lev. 23: 27, 28. Lev. 16:11-14 describes the manner in which the high priest was to make an atonement for himself with the blood of a bullock. Verses 15, 16, describe the making of the general atonement, as follows:--

"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place."

This has reference to that holy place where the ark was; see verse 2; and before we read further let us inquire, Why was he to make an atonement for the holy place? Surely the holy place had given no offense. It was not capable of action, either right or wrong. The remaining part of verse 16, and verse 19, give us full information on that point:--

"And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." "And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his fingers seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it, from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." 

Thus we see that the meaning of making an atonement for the sanctuary, or the holy place, is this: The sanctuary was defiled by the sins of the people, and as it was the place where God's glory dwelt, and where he met the priests in judgment for the violations of his law, it was to be cleansed from their sins, that their uncleanness might not remain before God,--before the throne of Judgment. During the whole year the work of propitiation was to be carried on in the service in the holy place, but the tenth day of the seventh month was the day of judgment, when all transgressions of his people were to be removed from before the Judge. It was the most solemn of all occasions in the religious observances of the nation. The high priest was to enter upon this service only after special preparation. Had he gone into the most holy without this preparation, or had he gone therein on any other day than the tenth day of the seventh month, he would have died. Lev. 16:1-4. And the people well understood the importance of the success of the work of the high priest on that day. Had he not strictly observed the order given he would have died. Had he died therein, the sanctuary would have been doubly defiled; and as it was death for any but the high priest to enter there, they could have devised no means for his removal. In the event of any failure on his part, no atonement could have been made, and their sins would have remained before the seat of judgment. Everything connected with the service of that day was calculated to deeply impress upon their minds the following words of the Lord:-- 

"Also on the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of atonement; it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. And ye shall do no work in that same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God. For whatsoever soul it shall be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. . . . It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." Lev. 23:27-32.

All that we have here described, both the sanctuary and its service, were typical. They were illustrations of the work of Christ; and to teach the manner of his priestly work was one great object of the covenant with Israel. The book of Hebrews is mostly an argument on the priesthood, both type and antitype. After noticing the great differences between the priesthood of Christ and that of Aaron, the writer says:--

"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest [such as he has described], who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:1, 2.

And concerning the sanctuary on earth, and priestly service therein, he says:--

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." Verse 5. And again, discoursing especially of the work of Christ as our high priest, he says:--

"It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Heb. 9:23, 24.

The old covenant has passed away; the Aaronic priesthood has ended. As the first covenant was ratified or dedicated with blood (Ex. 24:6-8; Heb. 9:18, 19), and on the principle that a testament is of force after men are dead (verse 17), Christ shed his blood as the sacrifice of the new covenant (see Luke 22:20- Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. ), which made the covenant of full effect, and made all the sacrifices of the old covenant effective and their further use meaningless.

When Christ came to his own, and they received him not, but despised and rejected him, and finally delivered him to death, they fully demonstrated their unfitness to be the depositaries of God's holy law. Not only had they refused to let their light shine to the people around them, but they themselves rejected the light by crucifying the Author of it. But God was still gracious to the tribe of Israel for the father's sake. They were a disobedient and gainsaying people (Rom. 10:21); but they were the children of Abraham, from whom the Messiah must come, and so the word of salvation through the risen Messiah must be first preached unto them. Acts 3:26; 13:46. The work of the gospel must begin at Jerusalem. It was written by the prophet that the new covenant was to be made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Jer. 31:31. And by another prophet it was declared that the seventy weeks, which reached to the manifestation of the Messiah and the full confirmation of the new covenant, was appointed to that people. Dan. 9:24-27.

But this state of things was to continue only until the covenant was confirmed and offered to Israel. God had from the first included all mankind in the plan of salvation. His promise to Abraham was that in him all families of the earth should be blessed. Upon the lineal descendants of Abraham he bestowed the high honor of being the depositaries of his truth--of being that people who should carry the light to the world, and around whom the faithful should gather. In every age all who wished to might come into covenant relation with God. But the Jews were unfaithful to the trust committed to them. They not only neglected to carry the light to others, but they themselves rebelled against God. Even after they had, by severe captivity, been turned from idolatry, and had made a strict profession, they took away the key of knowledge, and would not enter into the kingdom themselves, nor suffer others to. It was because of this disposition that God cut them off. He bore long with them, but could not suffer them always to stand in the way of his plan to send the truth to all the world. In accordance with the promise, the Messiah came to them, and the gospel was first preached to them, that they might have one more opportunity to fulfill their mission. But they neglected Christ and the gospel, and so the kingdom was given to a nation that should bring forth the fruits thereof. Others received the word gladly, and proclaimed it to the ends of the earth. And so now, as was designed from the beginning, all who exercise faith in Christ are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal.3:26-29.

Faith of Abraham. Pt. 6.

 

Faith of Abraham Pt. 5

 The truth… Original Institutions….and God's Laws Reality in God from everlasting to everlasting. 

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CHAPTER IV. STEPS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM Pt. 5

Continued…

And when the Lord directed Jacob to go to Bethel, he said to his household "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, . . . and I will make there an altar unto God." Gen. 35:2, 3. Here it was understood that they were unclean in the sight of God, not fit to approach unto his altar while the strange gods were among them. Jacob buried their idols in the earth. And the curse came upon Ham for the violation of the fifth commandment; Gen. 9:21-25; but if the law had not been known he could not have been guilty.

Numerous evidences are found in the book of Genesis that the people knew that adultery was sinful. When Abimelech would have taken Abraham's wife, not knowing that she was his wife, the Lord commanded him to restore her; and the king said to Abraham, "Thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin." Gen. 20:4-9. And when Joseph refused to comply with the immoral request of his mistress, he asked, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Gen. 39:7-9. These are but a few of the evidences on this precept. When the messenger of Joseph accused his brethren of stealing his cup, they offered proofs of their honesty towards him, and inquired: "How then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?" Gen. 44: 4-9. See also chapter 31:19, 30, 32, 39. The transgression of the tenth commandment must precede the violation of the eighth, and it is as sinful to covet as it is to steal. Nothing positive is found in the book of Genesis in regard to the ninth precept. That it was wickedly broken is a matter of record, for Joseph's mistress maliciously bore false witness against him. Likewise in the book of Genesis not a word is said concerning the sinfulness of taking the name of God in vain. But we find explicit testimony in Leviticus 18. Said the Lord to Israel: "After the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do." He then enumerated a list of abominable practices among which is the following: "Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God;" and afterwards added: "For in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: and the land is defiled; therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it." Lev. 18:3, 21-25. Profanity was sinful in the nations of Canaan; and because of it and their other sins, the Lord visited them in judgment. But it was as true of them as of others, that "sin is not imputed when there is no law." For God is no respecter of persons. This is further proof of what Paul teaches in Romans 3, that Jews and Gentiles are and were all amenable to the same law. The evidence in regard to the sabbatic institution is most positive and clear. The Sabbath was not only known before the law was given on Mount Sinai, but it was distinctly enforced before that time. Ex. 16:22, 23. We learn that a double portion of manna was gathered on the sixth day, and on that day Moses said: "To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord." The morrow was the seventh day of the week, and it appears from the language of Moses that it was already the Sabbath, before its arrival, and therefore by a previous appointment. When the Lord expressed his intention to give them manna, he declared as an object before him: "That I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." Verse 4. When some of the people sought for manna on the seventh day, the Lord said: "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?"

Verse 28. From all this it is very plain that the Lord had a law for the observance of the Sabbath before it was given on Mount Sinai. It was called the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. How it came to be the rest of the holy Sabbath, the commandment spoken by Jehovah himself informs us: "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it" Ex. 20:11. This transaction took place at creation,--before the fall of man. Unlike the ceremonial laws for sin-offerings, it was instituted before sin existed. 

The Sabbath is a commemorative institution; but it commemorates the work of God--not of man. It originated in the mind and will of God himself, and was not made necessary by an act of rebellion as even the gospel was. It was an original institution, as was marriage, and as such it would have existed and continued if man had never fallen. 

With what propriety, then, can men call it a Jewish institution? It is so called by many, but in direct contradiction of the Bible, which plainly says: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20:10. These are the words of Jehovah himself, and who dares to dispute his claim? He also said of the Sabbath that it is "holiness" to the Lord. Ex. 31:15; margin. By the mouth of the prophet he called it, "My holy day." Isa. 58:13. It was consecrated from the beginning, as the commandment says and the historic record proves: "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Gen. 2:3.

Thus have we identified the holy covenant of God, his word which he commanded to a thousand generations; which was given to Abraham and to Isaac, and confirmed to Israel for an everlasting covenant. The violation of this law has brought the curse upon all the world, Jew and Gentile alike, from which curse we must be redeemed by the blood of Christ in order that we may inherit the blessing of Abraham. Gal. 3:13, 14. And being thus freed from its condemnation we must "Go and sin no more," and walk in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had, that we may do his works and be his children in truth. John 8:33-39. Jesus, the seed of Abraham, says: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7:21. The will of the Lawgiver is found in his law, as Paul shows in Rom. 2:17-23. Without obedience to the law of God our faith is dead, and our profession of love to God is vain, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." 1 John 5:3.

The Faith of Abraham Pt 4

 Truthfully we need to comprehend more than we seek to. We get the basics and then say it's enough, no more is needed. We say we understand and we don't want to cloud that understanding with more details. We hide from the advancing truth, deeming it unneeded to our salvation, we have what we think we need. The truth is, God would not be seeking to give us more comprehension if we didn't need that understanding for His purposes. 

Today in the following study I learned something I want to expound on just a bit- 

The Ten Commandments, God's moral laws were in effect from the very beginning  of creation because they are the epitome of God's love. We sinned. Sin is a transgression of God's law. Adam and Eve could not have sinned had there been no law, no moral spiritual moral compass written on their very hearts. 

Too many people believe that the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses were the start of the law we could break and thereby sin. But we know sin happened in the Garden of Eden. We know that Satan sinned first, and for him to have sinned there had to have been a law even before human creation. The law of God is -as revealed already- written on the hearts right into the very living essence of every intelligent being created. Once sin began to pervade mankind's entire thought process, corrupting them entirely where they no longer recognize sin as the evil it is, God destroyed all of mankind except Noah and Noah's family. Making a promise to never destroy all of mankind again in that manner, God's reboot of humanity did not erase the evil, it couldn't because Satan wasn't destroyed in the flood, and mankind is so very weak separated from God. With the plan of salvation in place- the woman's seed destroying Satan- would have to occur to irradicate sin entirely and ultimately destroy all evil. 

The reality is the laws of God were and are spelled out in detail to mankind so they could have no excuse whatsoever to disobey them when they could no longer hear them from the heart. 

Christ died so we could have the laws written on our hearts revealed once more to us and sin would appear all the more sinful so we would seek to sin no more! 

The laws of God are love detailed and from everlasting to everlasting.

God help us know Him as He would have us know Him and allow His will to be done in our lives completely, all through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior- now and forever!!!!!!! Amen.

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'CHAPTER IV. STEPS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM

Continued…

'Repent of sin, and be baptized for its remission. Sin lies back of baptism--back of repentance; and the law lies back of sin. To ignore the law is to have a baptism without any foundation--without any significance. Now if there is no distinction between laws in their nature, then it would be reasonable and proper to command thus: Honor thy father and thy mother, for the remission of sins; Thou shalt not steal, for the remission of sins; Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, for the remission of sins. Why is it not as correct to read them thus, as it is to command to be baptized for the remission of sins? Clearly because those laws are of another nature; they are moral laws, and required because their transgression is sin. But baptism is not a moral duty, and may therefore be incorporated into a system of remission. If baptism was a primary obligation, it would be required on its own account, as are the ten commandments, and then it could not possibly have any place in the gospel plan. 

Ceremonial laws are made necessary by the action of man; moral law has its origin in the will of God, without any regard to human actions. Of this nature is every one of the ten commandments. And every precept was known before the days of Moses. When the Lord told Cain that sin lay at the door, it was evidence that he knew the law; and this law certainly included the sixth commandment, which Cain broke, for he was condemned as a murderer. That crime could not have been imputed to him if there had been no law on the subject. Gen. 4:7, 10-12; Rom.

5:13. 

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 

Gen 4:10  And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 

Gen 4:11  And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 

Gen 4:12  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 

Rom 5:13  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

To be continued.

Faith of Abraham Pt 3.

 Abraham, you know who he is if you're a student of God's word. 

In order- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph-- then we jump to a time after the memory of Joseph had been forgotten and yet his descendants lived on and we are brought to Moses.

(Exo 1:7  And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.)

We know Moses as the one who delivered the Israelites from Egypt and received the Royal Law from the hand of God, the Ten Commandments.  Yet, we have to realize right now, if never before, that those Ten Commandments existed BEFORE Moses! Yes, I said they existed BEFORE MOSES!

Abraham knew these laws of GOD! ADAM knew these laws! Yes, I said ADAM knew the Ten Commandments! Mankind was created to KNOW the Moral Law of God! These laws were WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS! Sin produced a shroud upon our hearts. Satan's shroud seeks to keep us from recognizing the laws of God written on our hearts. From Adam to you and to all after you, the law of God is there, written on your heart by God at creation from the moment you were conceived. Because Satan's shroud seeks to obliterate God's moral law from our hearts, God had to give mankind the moral law written in stone, by His own finger. The shroud of Satan was embraced by so many because mankind's bent towards self-serving, not God serving, not the serving of others. Still today mankind has Satan's shroud covering their hearts, to the point they have discarded the moral law on so many levels. Many have accepted the moral law, only to pick it apart choosing the parts they desire to believe and live, while doing away with other parts entirely. Satan uses this sort of deception so perfectly on mankind that the majority of those who choose this way truly believe they are serving the Lord. The whole royal law of God, the full Ten Commandments in their entirety are written on our hearts and the shroud of Satan can only be removed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to reveal them there. Jesus WILL remove that shroud, but only if we let Him! Don't let Satan mislead you into thinking those Ten Commandments did not exist before Moses, and that they don't exist today, they are fully binding from everlasting to everlasting. They are the essence of our God! The law of LOVE in its purity. God is love. 

 

May the Lord bless and keep us in HIM now and forever! All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

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'CHAPTER IV. STEPS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM

Continued…

Abraham kept the law of God, even all his commandments. After speaking of the fact that all nations were to be blessed in him, Paul adds:--

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ." Gal. 3:13, 14.

In this scripture we notice these points: 

1. Christ does not redeem us from the law, but from its CURSE; and the curse falls only on the transgressor. Therefore all who have an interest in the redemption of Christ, are amenable to the law of God, and are transgressors of the law. Christ came to call sinners to repentance. 

2. This redemption is in order that the Gentiles, or all nations, may receive the blessing of Abraham. And this again proves that the curse of the law rests on the Gentiles. Some affirm that the Jews alone are amenable to the law, which is utterly absurd. All men are sinners; all have gone astray; when the law speaks, every mouth is stopped, and all the world stand guilty before God. Rom. 3:9-19.

Rom 3:9  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 

Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 

Rom 3:13  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 

Rom 3:14  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 

Rom 3:15  Their feet are swift to shed blood: 

Rom 3:16  Destruction and misery are in their ways: 

Rom 3:17  And the way of peace have they not known: 

Rom 3:18  There is no fear of God before their eyes. 

Rom 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 

And we learn further in the scripture quoted, that they who are under the curse of the law, that is, who are transgressors of the law, cannot receive the blessing of Abraham. He received the blessing solely by faith, and no one can receive the same blessing except by faith. 

Christ alone can redeem any from the curse, and therefore faith in Christ alone can constitute us children of Abraham, and heirs of his blessing.

The same law that Abraham kept, was afterward declared to Israel at Sinai. 

The covenant with Abraham embraced these two main points, namely:

1. The promise of the land to him and to his seed. 

2. The promise was given to him because he kept the commandments of God. 

In other words, the promises were conditional, the condition being the law of God. This we also find stated in the sacred record, as follows:--

"Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance." 1 Chron. 16:15-18.

In these verses the foundations of the Abrahamic covenant are presented in brief. First, the condition; the law which he commanded to a thousand generations. Were this intended to mark a definite period, but a small part of it is yet expired; but it is probably indefinite, merely expressive of a vast or unlimited period. Secondly, the promise of the land, the lot of their inheritance. The law, the word commanded, is essentially distinct from the promise of the land. One is based upon the other. There is in the whole Bible but one "covenant commanded," which the Lord calls his covenant, defined as follows:--

"And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deut. 4:12, 13. 

But here comes the objection, almost constantly persisted in, that this law was given to the Jews, and therefore we have no concern in it. But we have already seen that the word commanded to Abraham and Isaac was confirmed to Israel for a law, even an everlasting covenant. And the Scriptures give us complete, and of course the correct, views of the relation of those things

committed to the Jews. 

This law was indeed given to the Jews, and so were the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, new as well as old (Jer. 31:31-34), and the service of God, and the promises. Rom. 9:4. For of a truth, "salvation is of the Jews." John 4:22. This was the advantage accorded to Israel, "that unto them were committed the oracles of God." Rom. 3:2. And the apostle further shows that their unfaithfulness and unbelief could not make void or of no effect that which was committed to them, for otherwise, how shall God judge the world? For he shows that it is when the law speaks that every mouth is stopped, and all the world stands condemned before God. Rom. 3:3-19. God had aforetime given the "lively oracles" (see Acts 7:38) by which he will bring every work into judgment, and every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. Eccl. 12:13, 14. Let

us not slight those sacred oracles because they were committed to Israel, for Christ himself was of Israel according to the flesh. Rom. 9:5; 1:3; Acts 2:30.

Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 

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

Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne

But the things that were given to the Jews were not for them alone, neither were they original with or to the Jews. The new covenant was given to the Jews, and we must receive it through them; but it was given to Abraham long before their time. Gal. 3:17. 

Gal 3:17  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Christ came of the Jews; but he was promised to the fathers, to Abraham, and to Adam from the beginning. 

Paul says that the service of God was given to the Jews; but it was given to many others before their day. The law was given to the Jews; but every item of it was given to the patriarchs--yes, to all the world, before it was given to the Jews. As before said, man's moral nature was given in his creation, and the moral law is but the complement, the necessary accompaniment, of his moral nature. Therefore the law was planted in the nature of man, and revealed to the head and representative of the race in the beginning. And thus Paul says, that the nations who had not the written law given to them as it was given to Israel, might yet do by nature the things contained in the law, because they had "the work of the law written in their hearts." Rom. 2:14, 15. 

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 

Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 

In this same chapter the apostle shows that the secrets of men shall be judged by the same law of which he was speaking; the law in which the Jews rested, and in knowing which they knew the

will of God. Rom. 2:17-23.

Rom 2:17  Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 

Rom 2:18  And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 

Rom 2:19  And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 

Rom 2:20  An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 

Rom 2:21  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 

Rom 2:22  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 

Rom 2:23  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

Of course we make a distinction between the moral and ceremonial law. To deny this distinction because the Scriptures do not use these terms, is not an argument; it partakes more of the nature of a cavil. The word probation is not in the Bible; shall we therefore deny the existence of the fact? The terms moral, morality, moral obligation, moral character, and moral agency, are not in the Bible; but who would argue from this that we do not correctly use these terms? There is a wide distinction between moral and ceremonial or positive law. Moral law is fundamental or primary; positive law is secondary; having no force nor meaning without the primary. Take the law for the offering of sin-offerings: When an offering was brought to the priest it indicated that sin had been committed. If sin had never entered into the world, no sin-offerings would have been required. The offering was made necessary in order to forgiveness. So the relation is easily traced to its foundation. The offering indicated that sin had been committed; and the existence of sin indicated the pre-existence of the law; for sin is the transgression of the law, and where no law is there is no transgression--no sin. Hence the law of sin offerings was given because another law, of another nature, had been violated. If that other law had never been violated, no sin-offerings would ever have been offered. The same principle is recognized at the present time, for those offerings were types of gospel facts. If sin had never entered into the world, there would have been no gospel; the gospel has the pre-existing law for its basis. Take away the law, and the gospel would be a nullity. It would be an offer of pardon without conviction. Thus it is easy to see that antinomianism is as absurd as it is unscriptural. Look at the sermon of Peter on that Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus. His message to those who were convicted of sin-was this: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." Acts. 2:38. 

To be continued…

The Faith of Abraham Pt 2

Right and Wrong.

As the whole of humanity a vast majority have a strong moral compass. Even so, there are those whose moral compass is seemingly missing, or very skewed. Do not believe for a single moment that one person with a God guided moral compass will lose out on eternity. Not one person of innocence by youth, feebleness, ignorance, or otherwise will be counted guilty in God's eyes. On the other hand all those guilty by lacking youth, feebleness, true ignorance or otherwise, will not be a part of eternity if they lack a God guided moral compass. Those who purposefully encourage and indulge their faulty moral compass (or lack thereof) will have no advocate in judgment, having chosen to reject their only hope of salvation. 

Right and Wrong.

Many throughout history from its beginning have kept their moral compass fine tuned without any knowledge of religion, these obey by the heart.

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 

Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

God is just, though Satan would have mankind believe otherwise. Satan glories in the millions of mankind he's been able to deceive. Jesus weeps over the loss of them all.  With proper mental faculties capable of discerning between good and evil, each person is accountable for their choices. Because of our extreme frailties towards evil because our senses have been perverted to the extreme so that self, and self-appeasement in any and all ways possible is supreme. Our God has offered us Redemption through Forgiveness should we seek to be forgiven, acknowledging our awful sinful ways, and asking to be forgiven, NOT excusing a single sin. After the very first sin- God told mankind that there was still hope in the form of a Savior to come. This Savior would ultimately destroy all evil, Satan and all that he has wrought from the moment of his first sin. 

Right and Wrong.

To live in a world where there is only right, this is what mankind was created for, not for the tortured existence that sin has introduced us to. Sin lovers, sin excusers, sin promoters, on some level know that sin is wrong- no matter how much they've deluded themselves into making sin seem right, not wrong. There is within them a flicker of comprehension that they snuff out when they are called to choose right over wrong.  Many millions are convinced that sinfulness is good and their right to indulge sin is just that- their right.  Those who comprehend the sinfulness of sin, know differently, they are permitted to understand sin's evilness. We are tortured human beings, so incredibly tortured. Sadness, heartache, pain, engulf us over and over during our lives. And ALL of this torture stems from a single being- Satan. We are allowed to know right and wrong, we are allowed to know the authors of both. We choose which to follow.

Right and Wrong.

We were created, given a likeness of God with the power of choice, a mind of higher comprehension. We know compared to the creatures surrounding us we were created on a different level of existence. Deliberate, not instinctual malice is a trait of mankind, not creature kind. An animal may hurt other animals, but there is no malice involved just an instinctual impulse they act upon. We know right from wrong, they do not. With our God likeness, we have intelligence, to deny this does not make it less truthful.

Right and Wrong.

Ultimately a day will come when everything is made undeniable for all. This is the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Choosing to follow your God driven moral compass allows for salvation. Choosing not to follow your God driving moral compass allows for no chance whatsoever for salvation. Choosing not to believe, gives you no chance for hope. A choice to serve self and have some faint notion of superior thinking because you don't allow for a belief in God is to condemn yourself purposefully allowing for no hope at all for eternity- all because of a deliberate wrong choice. 

God help us all through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

CHAPTER IV. STEPS OF THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM Pt 2

Continued…

'Moreover, it is plainly stated that "to obey is better that sacrifice." 1 Sam. 15:22. And Jesus said they call him Lord in vain, and their faith in him is vain, who do not the will of his Father,--if they work iniquity, or, literally, lawlessness. Matt. 7:21-23. 

((Mat 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.))

Eternal life will be given to them who patiently continue in well doing. Rom. 2:7. 

((Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: )) 

The same apostle who taught that we are justified by faith without works, in regard to past sins, also commanded us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2:12. 

((Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling))

Another apostle said to the brethren: "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." 1 Peter 1:22. This is what is meant by being sanctified through the truth. John 17:17. 

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

And all this fully justifies that expression of James--"Faith without works is dead." James 2:20. And yet, without faith it is not possible to please God (Heb. 11:6), for of ourselves we can do nothing. John 15:5. The grace of God through Christ is necessary in order that we may work to divine acceptance; and love to God is also necessary that our work may be acceptable Christian service as a "work of faith." 1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:11. 

1Th 1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father

2Th 1:11  Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power

And genuine Christian faith is a "faith which worketh by love." Gal. 5:6. And such a faith as this was the faith of Abraham. Of the relation of his faith Paul thus speaks:-

"And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised." Rom. 4:11, 12.

This is a very weighty text, fruitful of important considerations.

1. Circumcision was a sign or seal of righteousness. How different this statement from that of the multitude of theologians who assert that it was given as a means to keep the Jews a separate people from the Gentiles. It could not mark a line of separation between the children of Israel and the Ishmaelites and the descendants of Esau. And Paul declares that it was no sign at all to the

unfaithful and disobedient. It was only a separating line between the righteous and the unrighteous. To Abraham it was a sign of the righteousness that he already possessed through faith. "All unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17), or transgression of the law of God; "for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. Abraham had the righteousness of faith, but faith works by love, and love is the fulfilling of the law.

And this shows why the circumcision of the unbelieving Jews was of no value. Being given as a sign of righteousness, the sign signified nothing, if the righteousness were wanting. John says that righteousness is obedience, or the opposite of sin, and therefore Paul thus testifies:--

"For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Rom. 2:25. 

That is, if you keep the law, or maintain the righteousness of which it was the sign, then it is profitable--it has a true meaning. But if you work iniquity, and have not the righteousness required in the law, then your sign becomes no sign; it signifies nothing, for everything is lacking which it was intended to signify. 

2. He became the father of all them that believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised, who walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham. 

This statement demands careful consideration. Circumcision was given as the sign of righteousness. This righteousness was by faith. But in this, nothing avails but a "faith that worketh by love," and "this is the love of God that we keep his commandments;" and "love is the fulfilling of the law. From all this we are led to the unavoidable conclusion that the steps of the faith of Abraham consisted in obedience to the law of God; and these are the steps which we must follow to be his children indeed. And we are not left to merely draw conclusions, for on this point we have the most explicit testimony. 

Concerning the promises, the Lord said to Isaac:--

"Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and I will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father; . . . because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Gen. 26:3-5.

We have shown that God's purposes toward man, both providential and gracious, were revealed from the beginning, and these purposes he has never changed. When man sinned and fell, then and there the Creator announced the plan of salvation which has been declared from that day to this; it has never been set aside--nor has other ever been devised. The promises made to Adam were fully explained to Abraham, as their fulfillment was to come through his seed, and these are the foundation and substance of the gospel for all ages. And it is equally reasonable, equally true, equally clearly shown in the Scriptures, that the law of God, the great moral rule of right, was also

revealed in the beginning, and has been repeated from age to age, and has come down the same through all dispensations. It would be strange indeed if it were not so. Man's moral nature was conferred in his creation, and all his moral relations are a necessity of his nature. They have been neither augmented nor diminished since his creation. And the moral law is necessary in order to the development of character according to man's nature and relations. Where there is no law, says the scripture, there is no transgression; and it is equally true that where there is no law there is no obedience. Therefore without law there can be no character developed, either good or bad. If God had given man no law, he might just as well have made him an unreasoning creature, for he could have formed no more character than the brutes.

Noah was righteous before God, while the wickedness of the people was great, and the thoughts of their hearts were only evil. Gen. 6:5; 7:1. Lot also was righteous, while the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners exceedingly. Gen. 13:13. Of course Noah and Lot did righteousness, while the people around them transgressed the law of God; for they were sinners, and sin is the transgression of the law, and "sin is not imputed where there is no law." Rom. 5:13. But their sins were imputed to them. Peter says that the righteous soul of Lot was vexed with the "unlawful deeds" of the men of Sodom. 2 Peter 2:6-8. 

2Pe 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 

2Pe 2:7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 

2Pe 2:8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 

To be continued…