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Men have obscured God's revealed
will by trying to explain what He said. God is quite
capable of expressing Himself if we will but put forth
the effort to study and meditate upon His Word. Consider
these five words and what God has said about them.
FOREKNOWLEDGE
FOREORDINATION
PREDESTINATION
ELECTION
FREE-WILL (OR SELF-DETERMINATION FOR MAN)
FOREKNOWLEDGE: This term in NOT synonymous with
the `omniscience' of God.
In the KJV there are two instances of the word
`foreknowledge' and two of `foreknow'. There are other
words which have been translated from the same Greek
word however. The word is `prognosis' and means
precisely the same as the present usage of the word in
medicine: "To know or perceive before". There is nothing
in the word itself to indicate any eternal knowledge but
is always used to indicate a knowing before some event
in time.
The context always determines the event before
which the knowledge was. A good
illustration of this is found in
Acts 26:5. Which knew me from the beginning, if they
would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our
religion I lived a Pharisee.
Paul speaks of his life among the Jews in
Jerusalem and states they KNEW him from the BEGINNING.
The word used is the same `prognosis' of `foreknow'. It
would be preposterous to think he was implying that the
Jews knew him from the foundation of the world, or even
from the beginning of the Nation of Israel. He is simply
stating that they knew him BEFORE HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN
and had known him from the time he first entered Jewish
religious and political life upon his
arrival from Tarsus to attend the school of Gamaliel.
Perhaps a disclaimer is in order before
proceeding, lest someone think this is an attempt to
deny the omniscience of God. There is no question that
He knows all things nor that He knows the beginning from
the end. (I John 3:20 For if our heart
condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth
all things.)
The usage of the word most near to the common
idea that God knew from eternity and therefore what he
knew MUST come to pass, is found in
Acts 2:23 Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by
wicked hands have crucified and slain:.
Peter is preaching and some in the group of
listeners had been present at and even responsible for,
the crucifixion of Christ. He is simply telling them
that the death of the Son of God did not come as a
surprise to the Father, for he had known and determined
that Christ would die for the sins of the world. He is
also telling them that the decision to take part in the
killing of Christ was their own personal responsibility.
Therefore the foreknowledge of God as to what He
had determined to do, had in no way
relieved them of their personal wicked acts. The
foreknowledge and determinate counsel concerned what God
Himself would do, and the decision to personally involve
themselves in it, was made according to the free choice
of those who killed Christ.
The fact that God has perfect knowledge of all
things, and is not restricted in His knowing by the veil
of time, cannot be construed to imply that He therefore
has planned each happening, and that all things are the
result of his determining that they must take place.
Imagine yourself standing before a schoolhouse.
You know that at 3:30 the children will come out the
doors and shove and play as they make their way home. It
is yet but 10 o'clock in the morning but that knowledge
is sure in your mind. Does that mean that YOU are
responsible for school letting out?
Now since our knowledge is sometimes faulty and
incomplete we may not be aware that a bomb threat or
some other event will let them out earlier, but God's
foreknowledge is perfect. He even knew about the little
boy who would use the afternoon as an opportunity to
visit the old swimming hole! The principle of
foreknowledge however is the same. Neither you nor God
caused it; you merely knew it would take place.
Another view of foreknowledge as it relates to
time instead of eternity, can be pictured thus. The
child feels that he knows all there is to know about his
mother since he has been close to her all his life. Yet
the father's foreknowledge of her includes things the
child can never know; How she felt when the child was
first known to be on the way; how she planned for it and
how she suffered during its birth and how she seemed to
glow later as she held it close. You see, the child has
knowledge of its mother, but his father has
FOREKNOWLEDGE. He knew what took place BEFORE the child
ever became aware or even existed. In the same way, we
may know Christ. Our knowledge or acquaintance with him
began when we were born again, but the Father knew Him
before the foundation of the world.
A good Scriptural example of this just happens
to be also a good example of the manner in which men
have confused the issue by interchanging words with
totally different meanings. In I Peter 1:20
the KJV reads, "Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world but was
manifest in these last times for you."
The `foreordained' of this verse is from the
same Greek word translated `foreknow' in other passages
and Young's Literal Translation so presents it.
"Foreknown, indeed before the foundation of the world
and manifested in these last times because of you".
This passage is not talking about a
determination of a course of action but the knowledge or
acquaintance with a person. When God knew Him and when
he was presented to man.
This provides us with a smooth transition to the
consideration of our next word,
FOREORDINATION. Here is a word which is usually
accepted to mean `To decree, decide or appoint in
advance.' In its theological use, it is nearly always
thought to mean that God decided in eternity and so
decreed. Theology is supposed to be the science of God.
Instead of expanding man's knowledge of God however, man
often indulges in the obfuscation of that which God
intended to be clear and simple.
Perhaps the most simple way of clearing away the
fog, will be to examine each passage which is generally
used in considering the subject. The most familiar one,
I Peter 1:20 has already been noted and
so we proceed to another.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.
The word used, literally translated, means, `to
prepare beforehand'. This verse is certainly not telling
us that God decided and decreed and
determined every act of His people. Nor is it saying
that every one who has been saved by grace through faith
will walk in God's ways, because it is apparent to each
one of us that this is NOT the case in practice. Many
turn back and do not walk as they should. It is saying
however, that God has prepared or decreed a way in which
his children should walk. He will not accept man's
actions based on what the individual or society or
theology might decide is the proper
way.
"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who
were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God unto
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our
Lord Jesus Christ." Jude 4
Now an entirely different word is used. It is
the word `prographo' and means, `to write before, to
notify in advance'. The meaning of the entire verse
becomes clear; God has notified ungodly men in advance
of their condemnation. It is as if one
breaks a law in our own society. Our legislatures and
courts do not wait until the deed is done and then pass
a law by which the punishment is meted out, but rather
the law is written in advance and men are put on notice,
"this is the condemnation upon those who break this
law". Nothing is found here which encroaches upon the
free will of man.
Perhaps the most perplexing verse to many is
found in
Acts 13:48; "And when the gentiles heard this they
were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as
many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
Still another word comes into use here; it is`
tetagmenoi'. A literal rendering
of the passage reads, " - and believed, as many as
were disposed to life eternal".
When we see what God said, instead of what
others have said He said, it becomes clear. One of the
phenomena we see today was evident then; We have all
known of some who, upon hearing the gospel, accept it
readily while others resist. Some are disposed toward,
or receptive to the Word, while others are not. This
does not depend upon whether God has decreed them thus,
but rather is according to the free will of the
individual who hears.
This is the same truth taught by Jesus in the
parable of the seed and the four kinds of soil in the
13th chapter of Matthew. Each one does
have the power to determine for himself what
manner of person he shall be.
While there are some things such as our ethnic
and family groups which cannot be changed, those things
which are determined by our state of mind or `mind-set'
are within our power to control. One can determine for
himself if he will wallow in self pity because he was
born into poverty or he can work to change it. He can
excuse himself for his sinfulness by saying "This is the
way God made me." or he can turn to Christ.
The choice is his and he will do as he WILLS.
Those who orient themselves toward eternal life WILL be
receptive to the Gospel while those who indulge
themselves in sin will refuse to listen.
This doesn't exhaust the scriptures which some
have wrested, but serves to illustrate how men have
often confused the issue by trying to explain God's
expressed will for man. NEVER has God foreordained any
event which would in any way detract from man's ability
to exercise the God-given free-will which distinguishes
man from the beast.
PREDESTINATION
Here is another word men have bandied about as
if they were privy to the very mind and council of the
eternal God. It is thought by many to mean something so
very close to `foreordination' that the words are often
used interchangeably.
What God actually said however is almost
diametrically opposite to this idea. The word in the KJV
is used but four times and in each case
it is a translation of `prohoridzo'. The prefix, `pro'
means `before' and `hidzo' is the source of our present
word in English, `horizon'. It means a predetermined
boundary. A look at the use of the word as it is used in
Romans, chapter 8 and will illustrate
a simple truth which has been complicated by men as they
have attempted to make God say something which will
agree with their preconceived notions of `Divine
Truth.'
Romans 8:29 For whom God did foreknow he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
(v.30a) Moreover, whom He did predestinate them He also
called.
Thus Paul is inspired to set forth proof of the
statement in verse 28 that `all things work
together for good to them that love God'.
The first thing to consider in this passage is those
whom `God foreknew'. The event before which He foreknew
them is clear from the statement, "That He
might be the firstborn among many brethren."
This cannot mean his being born
in the flesh in Bethlehem, for in this birth he took
upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh.
(Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin
in the flesh:
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men:.)
Rather it refers to the resurrection of Christ
from the dead.
Col. 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, the
church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead: and that in all things he might have the
preeminence.
This squares with the promise of
Romans 6:5 "For if we have been planted together in
the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection."
The Old Testament is filled with expressions of
the hope of the resurrection by the saints whom God knew
before Christ was crucified, buried and risen. David
expressed this hope and also the truth of
Romans 8:29 in Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold
thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I
awake with Thy likeness."
The truth is simple; All the saints of the Old
Testament (who were known to God before Christ) died in
hope of the resurrection. They were predestined (limited
by the boundary set by God) however to wait for this
hope to be fulfilled until AFTER the resurrection of
Christ in order that they might be conformed to HIS
likeness instead of Christ to theirs.
This was definitely for their good. It would
have been tragic, indeed if they or we, had been forced
to bear the image of the first man Adam in our
resurrected body! Aren't you glad that we shall be
conformed to the image of Christ, and not that of David,
with all his fleshly faults?!
In the first chapter of Ephesians the context is
different and those under consideration
are not the same but the word and its usage has not
changed.
Eph. 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ, unto himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will."
The preset boundary or limits in this occasion
is plain, "the adoption of children".
What is this adoption for which we wait upon the good
pleasure of His will? It is set forth in unmistakable
terms in
Romans 8:23, "even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body."
We have a will which allows us to accept Christ
when we are so inclined and to serve him if we desire.
One who doesn't WILL to do so will neither be saved nor
serve. One thing for which we all long and are certainly
willing to receive in our new body; the adoption.
However, in this we are limited. The boundary
has been set and we cannot go beyond it
until God wills it in His own good pleasure.
Ephesians 1:11 uses the word in the
same manner; "In whom we also have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all thing after the counsel
of his own will."
As children of God we have an
inheritance ( Jesus said, "Fear
not little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32. So
Paul informs us that having made His intentions known,
God will, according to his own good pleasure, in the
fullness of time gather in one, all things in Christ.
(Eph. 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of
his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself:
10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times
he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even
in him:
When will this happen? Will it be at our
choosing? NO! Even as we are to be resurrected at the
time set by the Father, so we will receive our
inheritance according to His good pleasure and we must
wait at the preset boundary for the will of God. In this
then, it is plain that God has not predestined that man
will DO certain things, but that he will not do them
until He, God, is ready!
ELECTION There seems to be no lack of
understanding as to what the word means. Everyone seems
to agree that it means a `choosing'
while the word `elect' means the act of choosing when
used as a verb and when used as a noun, those chosen.
Yet in spite of this seeming agreement on election,
confusion still clouds the air. It seems that some still
try to make their concept of `The Doctrine of Election'
shore up their false ideas of predestination and
foreordination.
Election can be simplified if
one will but use a variation of the well know Rule of
Interpretation; Who is doing the choosing? Who is being
chosen? To what are they being chosen?
Consider Isaiah 45:4 "For Jacob my
servants sake, and Israel mine elect, I have called thee
by thy name; I have surnamed thee, though thou has not
known me." God is addressing Cyrus, who is
to be the instrument for His chastisement of Babylon who
had previously been chosen as the
nation to bring His chastisement upon Israel for her
rebellion against God who had chosen HER out of all the
nations. There are several different elections or
choosings involved in the passage. God had first chosen
Jacob's seed to become His nation. That nation had
chosen to rebel against God and worship other gods. He
chose Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to chasten His
rebellious elect, but Nebuchadnezzar and then Belshazzar
had chosen to be lifted up in pride.
God, in turn has now chosen to send Cyrus
against the Babylonians. It should also be noted that in
each case man's will was involved in agreeing to that
which God had chosen.
Joshua 24:15 "Choose ye this day whom ye will
serve-".
This was the challenge put to the people by
Joshua and they freely answered,
(v.16) "God forbid that we forsake the
Lord, to serve other gods;
Nebuchadnezzar had already chosen to enlarge his
dominion by adding territory extending into Egypt. When
Sennacherib, king of Assyria had attempted earlier to do
this same thing, God had sent him home in defeat and
could well have done the same with Nebuchadnezzar, had
he elected to do so. Even so, Cyrus had already set his
objective of overcoming Babylon and God
elected to make him victorious.
Isaiah 42:1 uses the word, "Behold
my servant whom I uphold: Mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him; He shall
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles."
This begins one of the greatest prophecies of
Christ in the Old Testament.
We know that it speaks of Christ because Jesus
said so;
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he
hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,.
To what is he elected? Certainly not to
salvation! Even a casual reading of the chapter reveals
that it is the Messiah who is chosen to bring light and
judgment to the world. He was elected because the love
and holiness of God demanded it and Christ alone could
fill the need.
Though others have set this task for themselves,
it remains Christ and He alone who is
the chosen of God to perform it.
Matthew 24:22, "And except those days should be
shortened there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elects sake those days shall be shortened."
Since this is in the New Testament, it must be
speaking of church saints who were chosen to be saved.
Right? WRONG! The hard evidence as to who these elect
are is found in
verse 15. "When ye therefore shall see the
abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, then let them which be
in Judaea flee into the mountains-".
These elect then are:
1. The ones to whom Daniel chapter 9 was written. If one
isn't persuaded as to their identity by the rest of the
chapter, then verse 20 should
make it clear, "And whiles I was speaking
and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my
people ISRAEL-".
Jesus even nailed down the precise geographical
area in which they would be found at the time,
"Let those which be in Judaea-"
2. These are observing, not the Lord's Day, but
the Sabbath.
v-20
3. These have a `holy place', the
Temple. According to Daniel, they will be offering their
sacrifices when this event takes place. The elect here
is again that nation which God has chosen and which He
shall again protect in its hour of dire need.
I Thessalonians 1:4, "Knowing brethren, beloved,
your election of God". Here is a passage
which must surely refer to election to salvation! WRONG
AGAIN! Verse 5 indicates what
this election was. "For our gospel came not
unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance."
How had the gospel arrived in Thessalonica?
In the 16th chapter of Acts
the account is given how the Holy Spirit would
not allow Paul to further evangelize Asia at that time
and directed him instead toward Macedonia and thus to
Thessalonica.
It is clear that God had indeed elected them to
be recipients of the gospel message.
When they heard it however, it was their choice as to
whether or not it would be believed and according to
Acts 17:4 And some of them believed, and
consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks
a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.-
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy,
took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort,
and gathered a company, and set all the city on an
uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to
bring them out to the people. some did
believe and others refused. This election then is not to
salvation but rather to have the opportunity.
I Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God".
Perhaps the best way to examine what Peter has
said is to read a better rendition of what he actually
said.
The translation of I Peter 1:1,2
as given by Young's Literal Translation of the
New Testament is as Follows;
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the choice
sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, according to a
foreknowledge of God the Father -".
The 'foreknowledge' of this passage concerns the
dispersion which took place in the time of the
persecutions of the Church at Jerusalem. Peter, the
apostle to the Jews, felt a need to instruct
those who were no longer under his physical care; Thus
the need for the Epistle. They were a choice people.
They were distinguished from others by the fact of the
sanctification of the Spirit to obedience and the
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. God still
elects to bless, watch over and instruct those who are
willing to be one of these!
John 5:21 is often cited to show that Christ
saves those HE wants to save. "As
the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even
so, the Son quickeneth whom he will."
This is an indisputable statement of fact and if
one but continues to read, when he comes to the 24th
verse he find who he WILLS to save.
"Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my
word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting
life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed
from death unto life."
God has chosen, (elected), to save only those
who willingly accept his son. THE FREE
WILL OF MAN
Revelation 22:17b "and whosoever
will, let him come and take of the water of life freely
-". Thus the Bible ends on a note that has
been its theme from the beginning ,as God said,
"Let us make man in our image."
Of all the material creation, man
stands alone in this respect; He has the ability to make
choices which affect his relationship to his creator and
determine his eternal destiny.
Jesus is quoted in John 10:34
saying, "Is it not written
in your law, I said ye are gods?" In this
he was making reference to Psalm 82:6 I
have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of
the most High..
As the serpent sought to beguile Eve with the
forbidden fruit his clincher was, "ye shall
be as gods, knowing good from evil".
Eve was too innocent to realize that she already
had this ability without its evil consequences. She had
the ability to know what she should do and should not do
and make the choice according to her own desires. This
ability was her's and Adam's, because God had created
them that way, in order that He might have a creature
with whom He could fellowship.
Surely God had the power, had
he so desired, to make a creature who was incapable of
sin. One which would only worship and praise God
forever. Such a creature would have been no more than a
robot, programmed to do the will of its maker and there
can be no real fellowship with such a being. We might
program a recorder to praise us and agree with our every
thought but there is no fellowship there as there
is when, "brethren dwell together
in unity".
Should God so wish, he could force men to accept
His will. This however is the action we have come to
associate with a twisted mind: When someone is so
desperately lonely he kidnaps another and forces his
attentions upon them. Our God needs to stoop to nothing
so shameful as this! He created a being in His own
image. A person able to exercise his own free
will. When that will is to honor the creator, then true
fellowship exists between God and man.
In His omnipotent sovereignty God chose to make
man a free moral agent. Because of his foreknowledge, He
knew this man would choose to sin. Because of His
Holiness He foreordained a plan of salvation and a plan
of work and service and will accept no others. Those who
would have eternal life and fellowship with God MUST
willingly accept this.
For the benefit of those who accept Christ, He
has predestined or limited us to not go beyond and gain
eternal things while still in this body. He has chosen
for our own good, to make us wait for the good pleasure
of His will on these things. He has elected, CHOSEN,
Israel to be His nation and will someday grant to her
all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
BUT the individuals who shall make up that
nation when the promises are all fulfilled are those who
have used their free wills to do the will of God.
Malachi 3:16-18 "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.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts,
in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare
them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return and discern between the
righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God
and him that serveth him not."
He has elected His Church to be his bride and
those who choose to serve him in it according to His
plan will share in that honor.
One thing which becomes very clear as the truth
of these five things is understood, is that the
sovereign God in His foreknowledge has foreordained
nothing, predestined nothing and elected no one in such
a way as to encroach upon the free will of the creature,
man, made in His own image.
Man can accept or reject Christ when the Holy
Spirit convicts him. God will not force him to accept
nor will He consent to save man any other way. Man can,
after he is saved, follow Christ in baptism and serve
him or he can choose to turn back and not walk after
him. God will neither force service from man nor accept
any except that which he has prescribed. Anything short
of this plan would be an attempt to
lower God to the status of a master technician and rob
those made in his image of that which makes them to
differ from the beasts of the field.
Five Gracious Truths
As Jesus stood before Pilate, He said
"everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice."
Pilate's answer is a question which haunts
the human race: "What is truth?"
It seems that man has so confused every issue
that in his mind everything has become relative. Every
issue has to be qualified in so many ways that no one is
able to render a definite decision. We can almost
sympathize with the man who, when greeted with the
common greeting, `how are you?' answered, `compared to
what?'
What is truth? We might give
the short conclusive answer found in John
17 as Christ prayed to the Father,
"Thy Word is truth!", but I would like
to give briefly five distinct truths, each established
on the other.
First a truth that the whole human race needs to
relearn. There is an ABSOLUTE difference between right
and wrong! Regardless of what theological infidels may
say about situation ethics, sin is still sin. It matters
not how broadminded men may become about the question,
God has some very definite declarations about the
matter.
"All unrighteousness is sin" 1 John 5:17.
Here is a very definite statement of truth! It
is a statement that needs no qualifying. Indeed it
cannot be qualified without questioning the truthfulness
of God Himself!
"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" Romans 14:23,
and "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the
Word of God!" Romans 10:17.
Man has always been prone to try to find some
good in sin that he may justify himself. Even in
Isaiah's day God said by the mouth of that great
prophet, "Woe to them that call evil good
and good evil." Isa. 5:20.
Call it social contact if you will, but the
drinking party that causes men and women to lose control
of their inhibitions is still sin. Immorality is still
sin even when its name is changed to `love'. It matters
not how hard men may try to change the nature of sin by
labeling it a sickness, it is still sin in the eyes of a
Holy God and the consequences are still the same as in
the beginning.
Which brings us to the next truth.
Sin brings forth DEATH!
James 1:15. then when lust hath conceived, it
bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death.
There is no denying that there is a temporary,
fleshly pleasure to be derived from sin. Moses had to
choose between the afflictions of God's people and the
pleasure of sin for a little season.
The euphoria of carnal pleasures is a great deal
like the effects of drink and drugs. They may seem
uplifting at the moment, but the after effects are like
the after effects of a life of sin in that the torment
is far greater than the pleasure received! Since all
unrighteousness is sin and is the
transgression of God's law of perfect holiness, He MUST
mete out justice.
Since man is caught in a web of sin with no
power to extricate himself we come to the third truth.
The penalty of sin was paid in behalf of helpless man by
that perfect man Christ Jesus.
"For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly!" Rom. 5:6.
On this subject let us simply let the word of
God speak to us!
1 Pet. 2:24 He bare our sins in his own body on the
tree.
2 Cor 5:21 He was made sin (a sin bearer) for us.
John 1:29 Behold the lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world.
I Pet 3:18For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to
God.
Heb. 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the
sins of many...
Here is a divine truth which can bring hope and
cheer to poor, sin-cursed man who finds
himself under the terrible storm of God's wrath against
sin. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY FOR MAN TO BE SAVED!
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other,
for there is none other name under heaven, given among
men whereby ye must be saved"
Good deeds cannot get the job done for it is
"not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved us." Titus 3:5.
We are not to be saved by the keeping of the Law
for we are told in
Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we
might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the
works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified."
Also, in 2:21; "for if
righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead
in vain!`
'What is truth?' was the question of Pilate, and
in the midst of the Babel of voices today, it is still a
legitimate question. It matters not what men may say,
however learned or pious they may seem. It matters not
what our forefathers may have said, however ancient
their words may be. Nor does it matter that multitudes
of men may agree that the Bible is unreliable. Truth is
still truth and all the denial in the world can never
change it! "Yea, let God be true, and every
man a liar." Romans 3:4.
Now I would like to briefly restate these truths
and then present one other that is built upon them.
Truth number one;
sin is sin and is relative only in the deluded
mind of man, while before God it is absolute and has
touched the whole human race. "For all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Truth number two;
this sin has caused man to be without God and
without hope in the world. It has brought about his
spiritual death as well as sickness and death to the
natural man.
Truth number three;
Christ took upon himself the penalty of sin for
the whole human race after having lived a perfect life
though tempted in all points like as we are.
Truth number four;
there is no other way of salvation than that
provided in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:8 For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God. 9 Not of works, lest
any man should boast."
Now for this final great truth for our
consideration. Christ is coming again! In our text it
was Christ standing before Pilate. Someday the roles
will be reversed and Pilate will stand before Christ.
There will be no question then as to the truth. Jesus
said in John 12:48 "He that
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that
judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall
judge him in the last day.
John describes it in this way. 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.
No perjured witnesses here to give forth their
conflicting testimonies, but only the truths of the
eternal Word of God with which to compare the deeds and
lives of those who stand in judgment. There will then be
no philosophizing nor moralizing about the relative
goodness or badness of sin, but only condemnation for
those who names are not found written in the Book of
Life.
You may not think that sin is so bad, but your
thoughts cannot dull the righteousness of God! You may
think somehow to escape the consequences of sin, but the
only way is the way that a loving God has
provided. Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved! Then you
will be able to say with the redeemed of all ages;
I'M SAVED!
How great the love that searched me out;
it could only be divine;
No other love could reach me;
I'm saved and he is mine.
How great the love that suffered!
only God could love me so;
to give His Son to die for me;
I'm saved! and this I know!
How great the love that intercedes
when I fail him o'er and o'er,
The love of God still keeps me,
I'm saved by His great power!
How great the love that comforts
and makes me to know this;
In spite of cares and sorrows,
I'm saved and I am His
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