THE HOLY BIBLE

A. THE BIBLE IS CALLED

1. "The book of the Lord": Isa. 34:16
2. "The scripture of truth": Dan. 10:21
3. "The holy scriptures": Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15
4. "The lively oracles": Acts 7:38
5. "The gospel of God": Rom. 1:1-3

B. EVIDENCE OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE

1. Its fulfilled predictions put the stamp of divinity upon its pages:
a. God's challenge to the doubter - Isa. 41:22-26; Dan. 7:1-17
b. The spade in the field of science confirms its claims to truth - Isa.
29:4
2. The accuracy and truthfulness of its message attest to its divine nature:
a. Its record of creation is incomparable - Gen. 1:2; Ps. 19:1-6; 111:1-
4
b. The Bible story of the flood is still another witness for the divine
origin of the Bible - Gen. 6:7, 8; Luke 17:26, 27; 2 Pet. 3:1-5
c. The story of our Lord, His birthplace, add greatly to the
verification of the Bible - Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Mi. 5:2; Isa. 53:1-12
3. Its singular unity:
a. It was written by priests, prophets, shepherds, and fishermen; yet it
is one single unit from start to finish.
b. What is so remarkable, in most instances, is that the writers of the
books of the Bible had no contact with each other, could not compare notes, yet their
message is the same throughout.
c. There are no other compilations of records of sixty-six books that
are as harmonious as the sixty-six books of the Bible - Isa. 34:16
4. Finally, its moral sublimity is irrefutable proof that God is its Author:
a. It gives the most elevated concept of God; this in sharp contrast to
the Pagan deities - Ex. 34:6; 1 John 4:16; Matt. 6:9
b. That is true, also, of man - Gen. 1:26-29; Eccl. 7:29; Ps. 8:4-11
c. It teaches the highest concept of morality -
(1) The golden rule - Matt. 7:12
(2) The Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17
(3) The Sermon on the Mount - Matt. 5:1-48
(4) Paul's writing - Phil. 4:8

C. BEST OF ALL, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE

1. Its elevating influence upon mankind:
a. It uplifts and enables as nothing else can - Heb. 4:12; Ps. 1:1-6;
Acts 19:18-20
b. It holds out to the believers the most glorious promise of the future
- 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 3:1-13; Rev. 21:22
2. The Bible has stood the test of the ages:
 a. The enemies of the Bible predicted its doom over and over, and yet
it is the most wanted and most bought book of all books sold.
b. It has been burned by the millions, yet it multiplied in increasing
numbers.
c. It is the most revered book of all the books read by intelligent
persons.
d. Empires have come and gone, yet the Bible which foretold their
rise and fall still lives.
e. It is at one and the same time the most ancient and also the most
modern book to be read by modern man.
3. Let me repeat, reverently:
a. No other book has influenced the hearts and the lives of people as
has the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17
b. Its very name is revered by Christians, Jews, and even by Pagans.
c. I have often asked the question "What would my life be or have
been if it had not been for the influence of the Bible?"
d. What would the world be today if it were not for the influence of
the Bible?
e. What would the American home be today if it were not for the
Bible?
4. The Holy Bible:
a. Is the best book in the world.
b. It opens vistas to the human mind that make the difference now
and in eternity!
c. It is, indeed, as Paul says, the book of God. Let us keep it that
way.
THE SUFFICIENCY OF BIBLE REVELATION

A. "AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE
PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE
FROM THE DEAD." - Luke 16:31
1. The words of our text are, as you know, a part of the conversation between
Abraham and the rich man of our Lord's parable:
2. In this parable Christ shows that the people, who live for themselves in
this world, will reap the fruit of their selfish heart: Rom. 6:23

B. "THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; LET THEM HEAR THEM . . .
IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE
PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD."
1. That establishes these facts:
a. That the sixty-six books of the Bible are the all-sufficient
Revelation to prepare us for a sanctified life and also for glory land - 2 Tim. 3:15-17
b. That no other supernatural manifestation can supplant the written
word of God - Gal. 1:8, 9; Rev. 22:17, 18
c. "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them." - Isa. 8:20
 d. Man-made traditions, too, are out as far as saving revelation is
concerned - Mark 7:7-13; Isa. 29:13, 14
e. Dreams, too, unless they are in harmony with the written Word of
God - Jer. 23:28
2. The grand purpose of revelation:
a. To reveal Christ to the sinner - John 5:39; Luke 24:25-28
b. To make known the plan of redemption -
2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:46, 47
c. To establish saving faith upon a sound foundation - Rom. 10:17;
John 7:37, 38
d. To safeguard us against the deception of the last days - 2 Thess.
2:9-11; 1 John 2:3-7
3. Let us keep in mind:
a. That persons have been raised from the dead, yet some people
refused to believe the truth -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Lazarus, the friend of our Lord was brought back from the
dead - John 11:4-48; 12:17-43;
(2) the daughter of the centurion was brought back to life -
Matt. 8:8-13;
(3) the son of a widow was raised from the dead by the power
of Christ - Luke 7:14
b. Yet, the Pharisees refused to accept the Word of God - John 9:18

C. THE BIBLE HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE A SUFFICIENT REVELATION TO

INSTRUCT US IN THE WAY OF SALVATION
1. It was recognized by Jesus Christ as the all-sufficient source of light:
a. He always appealed to the Bible as the supreme authority for truth
- Matt. 4:1-12; Luke 4:1-9
b. He based His faith in Him upon what the Bible said concerning
Him - John 5:39, 46, 47; 7:37-39; Luke 24:25-28
2. It was the very basis of the preaching by the apostles:
a. Paul warns against departing from the Bible - 2 Tim. 4:1-6
b. Peter, too, admonishes us to heed the Word of God - 2 Pet. 1:16-
20; 3:1-6
3. Think, dear friends:
a. What would the world know about the origin of sin? Isa. 14:12-
17; Ezek. 28:12-18
b. What would we know about creation? - Ps. 33:6, 9; Rom. 1:20; Ps.
19:1-6
c. What would we know about redemption? - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Matt.
22:29
d. What would we know about the second coming of Christ? - John
14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11
e. What would we know about the state of the dead and the
resurrection? - 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:12-57
 f. What would we know about the World of Tomorrow? - 2 Pet.
3:13; 1 Cor. 2:9-17; Rev. 21:1-17; 22:1-22
THE SAINTS' ESTIMATE OF THE WORD OF GOD

A. "I LOVE THY COMMANDMENTS ABOVE GOLD; YEA ABOVE FINE

GOLD" - Psalms 119:127
1. David is noted for his love and admiration for the Word of God:
a. "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold
and silver." - Psalms 119:72
b. "Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven." - Verse 89
c. "I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is
exceedingly broad." - Verse 96
d. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my pathway." -
Verse 105
e. To the saints of God, God's Word is the one pearl of great price -
Matt. 13:46

B. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE LOVE AND

ADMIRATION OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD FOR THE BIBLE
1. The supreme excellency of the Bible:
a. Its heavenly origin. Compare 2 Pet. 1:19-21 with Isa. 34:16; 2
Tim. 3:15-17
b. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost - 2
Pet. 1:21; 1 Pet. 1:11; Acts 1:16
c. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17
2. The great antiquity of the Bible:
a. It is the oldest book known to men.
b. Its records form the basis of all reliable histories, secular and
ecclesiastical. This is a point to keep in mind in our appraisal of the Bible.
c. The story of the Bible covers not only the history of the world but
God's relation with men from the very beginning. No other account of mankind is
comparable to the universality of the Bible.
d. It can be said that the Bible is, in truth, the ALPHA and the
OMEGA of the divine written revelation.
3. Their miraculous preservation:
a. The Bible has been hated, mutilated, burned, refuted; Atheists have
given funeral orations to its "final doom", as predicted by its bitter enemies, yet it lives!
b. Empires, small and great, have disappeared, but the Bible still
stands in all its divine vigor and majestic strength.
4. We think of the glorious revelation of the sacred scriptures:
a. They give us the most elevated concept of God and His attitude
toward men - John 3:16; 1 John 4:8
b. They give us the highest concept of man made in the image of God
- Gen. 1:26, 27
c. The Ten Commandments are the very heart of all true morality -
Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 22:34-38; Matt. 7:12
 d. The Bible points to Jesus Christ, the only hope of the world - John
5:39, 46, 47; Acts 4:12
e. Finally, the Bible gives the brightest view of the future for God's
people - 1 Cor. 2:9-11; 2 Pet. 3:13

C. THE SAINTS' ESTIMATE OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE BIBLE SUMMED

UP
1. God's children show how they evaluate the Bible:
a. By diligent perusal of God's word - Isa. 34:16; John 5:39; Acts
17:11
b. By making the message of the Bible the subject of much prayer
and meditation - Ps. 119:15
c. By living the truths it brings to them - Jas. 1:22, 23
d. By submitting their lives to the authority, regardless of the cost -
Ps. 119:32-35, 168
e. By spreading its message abroad, to all nations - Matt. 28:18-20
2. Blessings derived:
a. Increase in knowledge
b. Increase in holiness
c. Increase in true happiness - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Ps. 119:9, 100, 165
THE RIGHT RECEPTION OF THE WORD OF GOD

A. "YE RECEIVED IT NOT AS THE WORD OF MAN, BUT AS IT IS IN

TRUTH, THE WORD OF GOD." - 1 Thess. 2:13
1. A Bible Christian has a great deal to do with the Bible. To be informed in
God's word is:
a. A great privilege
b. A great blessing - Josh. 1:8; Deut. 17:19
2. His very life, past, present, and future, is interwoven with the teaching of
the Bible:
a. He lives by it - Matt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16
b. It is his wisdom - Ps. 119:99, 100; 2 Tim. 3:15-17

B. LET US ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE OUR OPENING TEXT TO LEARN SOME

OF ITS IMPLICATIONS
1. The Word of God:
a. When we speak of the Word of God we include the sixty-six books
of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Luke 24:25-28
b. Paul included all the sacred writings in all his messages - Acts
24:14; 26:22
c. It is noteworthy to see how our Lord uses the `all' when explaining
the Bible - Luke 24:25-28
d. Paul follows the Saviour's example by using the word `all' in his
explanation of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
2. Has it ever occurred to you that the books of Moses and the prophets are
never called "The Old Testament"?:
 a. They are called "the book of the Lord" - Isa. 34:16
b. "The scripture of truth" - Dan. 10:21
c. "The gospel of God" - Rom. 1:1-3
d. "The lively oracles" - Acts 7:38; Rom. 3:2; 1 Pet. 4:11
e. And as our text confirms that the Bible is in truth the Word of God
- Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:13
3. How we are to receive the Word of God:
a. The Bible must be received as the Word of God.
b. When we receive the scriptures in this manner they will be, in
reality, the Word of God to us -
(1) Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost - 2 Pet. 1:20; Acts 1:16
(2) John 16:12, 13
c. We receive the Word with implicit confidence - Ps. 119:18, 20, 33.
"I trust in thy word" (verses 42, 66, 74, 105, 140, 160)
d. With great and humble affection - Prov. 16:24; Ps. 119:103

C. BLESSINGS OF THE WORD OF TRUTH

1. It makes us wise unto salvation: 2 Tim. 3:15
2. They, who are ignorant of the scriptures, are in utter darkness: Matt. 22:29
3. God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path: Ps. 119:105
4. It is a bright shining light in a world filled with great spiritual darkness: 2
Pet. 1:19; Isa. 60:1-3
5. It reveals our duty to God and our fellow man: Rom. 1:16; Isa. 34:16, 17
6. It is the only basis of sound doctrine: 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
7. It is the only enduring foundation of our faith: Matt. 24:35
8. Let us approach the Bible with holy reverence and prayer: Isa. 66:5
9. It is food for the soul: Jer. 15:16
10. If we receive it into our hearts it will make us free from the traditions of men:
John 8:32; 17:17
11. How wonderful it is to open our hearts to the life-giving Word of God!
12. When it can be said of us, "Ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in
truth, THE WORD OF GOD", then we give it the reception it deserves:
OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE BIBLE

A. THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK AND WE PROFESS TO BE GOD'S CHILDREN

1. We should revere the Bible:
a. Tremble at His Word - Isa. 66:5
b. Love it with holy awe - Ps. 33:8, 9; 119:97
2. It must never be treated by us as something common:
a. Too many people speak of the Bible as if it were something
common.
b. The Bible is the work of the Holy Spirit; it is holy - Isa. 34:16;
Rom. 1:2
B. LET ME DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO A FOURFOLD APPROACH TO
THE BIBLE
1. Too often the ear is inclined to hear the wrong thing:
a. Angels listened to Lucifer.
b. Adam listened to Eve, and Eve to the serpent - Gen. 3:1-6
c. The Jews listened to the Rabbis.
d. Today many people listen to false preaching - 2 Tim. 4:1-6
2. It means that we are not to be deaf:
a. Ear is no proof of hearing - Matt. 13:13
b. At times the ear needs to be operated upon - Isa. 50:5
c. By the Word of God - Acts 2:37; Heb. 4:12
3. To search:
a. The Spirit of God searcheth, so must we - Dan. 12:4; 1 Cor. 2:10
b. Personal and prayerful reading of the Word of God is very
rewarding - John 5:39; Isa. 34:16
4. Worthy objects for searching:
a. Eternal life - John 5:39
b. Immortality - Rom. 2:7
c. Kingdom of God - Matt. 6:33
d. To be guided right - Matt. 22:29; Ps. 119:105
5. Other timely and beneficial suggestions:
a. Eat the Word - Jer. 15:16; Rev. 10:9, 10; Matt. 4:4
b. It would be foolish to ask why we are to eat -
(1) We eat to live
(2) We eat for strength - Eccl. 10:17
c. For some hunger will come, but too late - Amos 8:11
6. To live by the Bible is still another fact for consideration:
a. "Apply thyself wholly to the scriptures, and apply the scriptures
wholly to thyself" - Jas. 1:22
b. There are many mouth Christians - Ezek. 33:31; Isa. 29:13
c. Said a Brahman to a Christian Missionary: "If you were as good as
your book, you would conquer India for Christ in 5 years."
d. "The more you know of God's Word, the more you can know
God's word; and the more you are living by God's Word, the better you can understand
God's Word."
e. "Aiming to do never saves, but doing does" - Jas. 1:23; Rom. 2:13

C. HOW WONDERFUL AND HOW BLESSED IS THE BIBLE

1. Think of what it has done:
a. In the lives of persons that read it, believed, and lived it!
b. What would your life be today, had it not been for the influence of
the Bible?
c. Your life and mine, and the lives of all men would be full of
darkness - Isa. 60:1-5; Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:16-20
d. It, and it alone, can transform lives - Heb. 4:12; it, and it alone, can
lift the curtain from the future and permit us to look beyond today.
 e. Let us revere it and approach it with awe and holy dedication; let
us use it as the guide to God and the kingdom of heaven.
GOD

A. THE WORD "GOD" IS

1. The most conclusive word; and the most misunderstood word:
a. It is all-inclusive -
(1) The Bible begins with, "In the beginning God" - Gen. 1:1
(2) The last book of the Bible closes with these words; "The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." - Rev. 22:21
b. Paul summarizes his instructions to Timothy with these words,
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God." - 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
2. "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God": Ps. 14:1
a. The atheist says, "There is no God".
b. The agnostic says, "I do not know that there is a God".
c. The materialist says, "I need no God".
d. The Christian says, "There is a God, and I need Him".

B. WHY THIS SUBJECT

1. To know God and Jesus Christ is "everlasting life": John 17:3
2. God wants us to know Him:
a. He wants His enemies to know Him - Ex. 7:5; 8:22; 14:4
b. God wants all men to know Him; that is why He sent His Son into
this world; and that is why He gave us the Bible - John 1:18; Matt. 11:39; John 5:39
3. Revelation of God:
a. A Pagan philosopher asks the Christian, "Where is your God?";
and the Christian asked the Pagan, "Where is He not?" - Ps. 139:1-9
b. The works of God prove that He is -
(1) "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth His handy work" - Ps. 19:1
(2) "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and godhead" - Rom. 1:20
c. Christ is proof that God is -
(1) "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" - John 14:9
(2) "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"
- Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4
d. The Bible is witness that God is. Read it; believe it; live it; and
you will know that God is - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 7:17

C. GOD IS
1. The reason for the universe, because He created it: Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20
2. He is the reason for life in the universe: Acts 17:28; John 1:1-10
3. He is the reason for our hope: Ps. 78:7; 146:5
a. He is the hope of my future; if there is no God, there can be no
future; if God is not, who shall raise me from the dead?
 b. Paul speaks of that hope - Acts 24:15
4. What would and could I do without God?
a. When sickness strikes! Ex. 16:26; Ps. 103:1-3
b. When death comes? John 11:1-44; 1 Cor. 15:26; Hos. 12:13
c. When I think of eternity?
5. God is:
a. Everywhere - Ps. 139:7
b. Love - 1 John 4:8. What would life be without love? - Matt. 24:12
c. Just - Mi. 6:8
d. Truth - John 14:16
e. Light - 1 Tim. 6:16; Rev. 22:1-6
f. God is the Giver of all perfect gifts; let us thank Him for them -
Jas. 1:17
g. God is, and that is why you and I are. Nothing could exist without
God.
THE GODHEAD

A. THE WORD "GODHEAD" OCCURS THREE TIMES IN THE NEW

TESTAMENT
1. Paul uses this word in his learned message while standing on Mars' Hill at
the city of Athens: Acts 17:29
2. In his Epistle to the Colossians, he emphasizes the divinity of Christ in
these words, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Col. 2:9
3. Finally, we find this word in Romans 1:20 - "For the invisible things of
Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."
4. Twice, Paul uses this word to describe the glory and majesty of God the
Father; and once he applies this word to the Son of God, fully divine:

B. THE GODHEAD AND WHAT WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE

GODHEAD
1. There is confusion among Christians about the Essence of God:
a. Some would have us think that God is a Principle and not a Person.
That is the theory of so-called "Christian Science".
b. Others say, that when you discover the good in you, you discover
God; because the good in you is God.
c. Some say that since God is Spirit, He has neither a form or a body;
His Essence, according to this theory, is without body, form or shape.
2. A few Bible facts about the Godhead, as Paul speaks:
a. There are, indeed, three distinct personal Beings in the Godhead -
Compare Matt. 28:19 with 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 14:26; Eph. 4:4-6; John 5:26;
16:13
b. They are one in nature, in character, and in purpose - Compare 1
John 5:7 with John 10:30; 17:21; 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14
3. Relationship of the members of the Godhead:
 a. God the Father, so the Bible teaches, is the Head of the universe,
including the Son of God. Compare, please, John 17:3 with 1 Cor. 3:23; 11:3; John
14:28; 10:29; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 8:6; 15:24-28; John 5:19, 30; 20:17
b. Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, who has
been with the Father from all Eternity. Compare John 1:18; 3:16; 1 John 4:8 with Prov.
8:22-30; John 17:8; Mi. 5:2; John 8:58
c. It was by and for Christ that God created the worlds and all that is
in them - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3
d. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is now, also the Son of man, is
the supreme gift of our heavenly Father to redeem all that had been lost through sin -
John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:19-21

C. SUMMARY
1. The word Godhead, used three times by Paul, indicates plainly:
a. That there are three distinct personal Beings in the Godhead - the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost - Matt. 28:19; John 14:26; 1 Pet. 1:2; Eph. 4:4-6
b. That these divine Beings are one in nature, in character and in
purpose, but not in rank because the Father is the Great Sovereign of the universe, freely
acknowledged by the Son of God - John 4:22, 23; 5:19, 30; 10:29; 14:28; Mark 12:29-32;
1 Cor. 15:24-28
2. Our finite minds are not capable to enter fully into that which is infinite:
a. That was the testimony of Zophar, the professed friend of Job -
Job. 11:7, 8
b. That is Paul's conclusion - Rom. 11:33-36
3. But we do have sufficient information about the Godhead to know that
they seek to save us from sin and assure a place for us in the eternal kingdom of God:
Heb. 12:22-28
4. We love and adore all three members of the Godhead:
CREATION - NOT EVOLUTION
HEBREWS 11:3, 4

A. THE CREATOR SPEAKS TO US

1. He warns us against science, falsely so-called: 1 Tim. 4:20
a. A theory which questions the Bible - 2 Pet. 3:3-7
b. Which denies that God created this world - 2 Tim. 4:3; Col. 2:8
2. The source of our wisdom is found:
a. In Christ Jesus - 1 Cor. 1:30; Matt. 11:25
b. In the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Matt. 11:25-30
c. In God's law - Ps. 119:96, 99; Isa. 8:20; Jas. 1:2-5; Luke 16:31;
John 12:7-9

B. EXPRESSES GOD'S IDEAL

1. How matter came into existence:
a. Science, so-called, claims that matter is the result of timeless
evolvement; it credits the theory of evolution.
 b. The Bible teaches that matter, as well as all else, was brought into
being when God spoke, "let it be" - Ps. 33:6, 9; 104:5; Isa. 40:26, 28; Heb. 1:1-3, 8, 9
c. To be created simply means to be spoken into existence - Heb.
11:3
2. Creation of man:
a. The crown of God's creation -
(1) Bearing the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7
(2) Science seeks to link man with lower creatures
b. I would much rather believe that I bear the likeness of God than
that of an ape - Ps. 8:5; 139:14
c. Man bears the likeness of God, not only in his physical
appearance, but also in the power of reason.
d. God invites man to "reason" together with Him - Isa. 1:19
3. God's reason for creation:
a. All things were created for the glory of God - Ps. 19:1-6; Isa. 43:7;
45:18
b. Unto good works - Eph. 2:10; Rev. 4:11
4. Time of creation:
a. Common theory involves millions of years
b. The Bible states, however, that -
(1) God spoke and it was; He commanded and it stood fast -
Ps. 33:6, 9
(2) It speaks of evening and morning days - Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19,
23, 31
(3) The fourth commandment says, "For in six days the Lord
made heaven and earth, and all that in them is" - Ex. 20:8-11

C. PERFECTION OF CREATION
1. The Bible teaches that all that God made was very good: Gen. 1:31; Ps.
111:1-4
2. The laws of nature speak for the absolute perfection of the creation:
a. The ten laws which guide the study of natural science
b. The higher law which guides man's moral relationship to his fellow
men and the Creator confirms the perfection of God's work in creation - Ex. 20:3-17; Ps.
19:7; 119:96
3. A state of perfection which cannot be gain-said:
a. Astronomy - the study of the stars
b. Botany - the study of vegetation
All of them speak for the Majesty of their creator and His infinite wisdom
- Ps. 19:1-6; 111:1-3
4. Key scriptures to keep in mind: 2 Pet. 3:3-7; Rom. 1:19, 20; Matt. 11:25;
2 Tim. 4:3, 4; Luke 16:31; Ps. 74:15-17
5. Creation - not evolution - is marked upon everything in nature, visible and
invisible. Only great wisdom of the Creator can bring a wonderful world into being.
6. The natural laws are incontrovertible proof for creation and against the
theory of evolution.
THE CREATION OF MAN
GENESIS 1:27

A. "SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE"

1. These words give us the origin of the human race:
a. How noble and how awe inspiring is our being - the image of God.
b. That shows that the theory by the evolutionist, that man came from
the ape, is just so much nonsense.
2. The fact that man was created in the image of God:
a. Makes us more responsible to our Maker - Eccl. 12:1-3
b. It helps us to understand the dignity and personal responsibility of
man - Ps. 8:4-9

B. MAN'S CREATION
1. How he was created:
a. It is noteworthy that when God created other things, He simply
said, "Let there be".
b. But when He created man there was consultation, there was a
council between the members of the Godhead, "Let us make man in our own likeness".
c. We hear the language of the Godhead -
(1) The Father had a part in the creation of man.
(2) The Son had a part in the creation of man.
(3) The Holy Ghost had a part in the creation of man - Heb.
1:1-3, 8, 9; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Job. 33:4
2. Man's creation is the crowning act of God's creation:
a. Man was made on the sixth day - Gen. 1:26, 27, 31
b. The divine wisdom in creating on the sixth day is most obvious - to
take care of the Garden of Eden - Gen. 1:28, 29; 2:7-25
c. It must have been wonderful to rejoice over the creation of this
present world. There was nothing, as yet, to mar the work of the Creator. Peace and
heavenly serenity rested upon creation.
3. Note, please, the exalted position man was placed in by his creation:
a. He was made in the image of God. That is the highest honor God
could bestow upon man made out of red clay.
b. He bears a likeness to his Maker, in appearance and in character -
Gen. 1:26, 27; Eccl. 7:29
c. He was endowed with superior intelligence, revealed in his ability
to name the animals the Lord brought to him - Gen. 2:20
d. He was given a mind, faculties of the power of reason - Isa. 1:19
4. It is the character image that is of special interest to us:
a. Purity of heart, affections of pure love, are some of the virtues
Adam was given, reflecting the image of the Creator.
b. Satan made the character image of our first parents his main target;
he created doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, and that was a reflection on the character
of God.
C. THE WONDERFUL LESSON OF OUR TEXT
 1. The Bible record of the creation of man:
a. Gives us the noblest concept of man and his origin.
b. It marks the claims of infidels as untruthful - Ps. 14:1-6
c. It places human beings on a level of respectability and honor.
d. This record of man's creation honors the Creator - Eccl. 12:1-6
2. It unfolds to us God's love:
a. Expressed in the creation of man - Rev. 4:11
b. In the price God paid to redeem man from sin - John 3:16; 2 Cor.
5:18-21
c. All these facts should lead us to a closer study of Ps. 8:4-9
d. All shows that when God made man in His image, He had great
plans for him - Jude 24
THE CREATION SABBATH
GENESIS 2:2, 3

A. IT IS NOTEWORTHY AND THOUGHT PROVOKING

1. That God chose to create this world in:
a. Six evening and morning days - Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31
b. The creation days were from even unto even - Lev. 23:32; from
sunset to sunset - Mark 1:32; Deut. 16:6
2. How God created this world:
a. The theory of evolution.
b. He spoke this world into being - Ps. 3:6, 9; Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14,
15, 20, 24, 26; Ps. 148:5

B. THE CREATION WEEK

1. Why did God choose to create the world in six evening and morning days?
a. He could have spoken the world into being in a moment - in the
twinkling of an eye.
b. But he took six twenty-four-hour days to complete creation.
c. He, who knows the end from the beginning, for known unto God
are all His works from the beginning of the world - Acts 15:18 - chose to measure time in
this manner.
2. God created the world in six days and He rested on the seventh day:
a. Thus setting an eternal precedent to be followed by men - Ex.
20:8-11; Heb. 4:9, 10
b. That fact alone makes the seventh day of the week God's rest day
forever - Eccl. 3:14
c. The rest of the Creator on the seventh day marks the beginning of
our perpetual weekly cycle. This is a fact to keep in mind as we study the creation
Sabbath.
d. The week is measured by the Sabbath - Compare Ex. 16:3-28 with
Ezek. 46:1; Ex. 20:8-11
e. This measurement of time has been recognized by men since the
very beginning of civilization.
C. THE CREATION SABBATH
1. The creation Sabbath has its origin in a threefold act of the Creator:
a. He rested on the seventh day from all His work and was refreshed -
Gen. 2:3; Ex. 31:17
b. That fact, alone, makes the seventh day of the week God's holy
Sabbath day forever - Eccl. 3:14
c. He blessed the seventh day because that in it He had rested from
all His works, which God created and made.
d. God's bestowal of His blessing on the seventh day Sabbath gives
the lie to the theory that the Sabbath is a burden to those who seek to keep it - Compare
Gen. 2:3 with 1 Chron. 17:27; Num. 23:20
e. He hallowed, set aside the seventh day Sabbath, by his own
example - Ex. 20:11
2. God's act when bringing the weekly Sabbath into being at the beginning of
creation:
a. Is Biblical proof that the weekly Sabbath predates sin in this world,
and shows that it cannot be nationalized or localized as some would have us think.
b. It predates the Jewish race by over twenty-four hundred years.
3. Let us note, carefully, why God made the weekly Sabbath:
a. It was made for man - the human race - Mark 2:27
b. Note, please, "the Sabbath was made", that fact excludes it from
the Sabbaths that came into being in the early history of the children of Israel - Lev. 23:4-
37. It was made, they were appointed.
c. It was made for man - Adam - the human race - Mark 2:27. That
fact makes it a universal institution dating back to creation.
d. We shall learn later for what purpose God made the seventh day
Sabbath.
THE LORD'S DAY

A. "I WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD'S DAY" - Rev. 1:10

1. Our opening text has become, for some, a point of contention and
confusion:
a. Observers of Sunday, the first day of the week, apply this text to
Sunday.
b. Others think of "the Lord's day" as being "the judgment day".
2. Both positions have no basis in the Word of God:
a. Sunday, the first day of the week, is never spoken of in the Bible as
"Lord's day" - Compare Matt. 28:1 with Mark 16:1, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts
20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-3
b. Sunday, the first day of the week, like the other five days, is called
"working day" - Ezek. 46:1; all because God worked on it and the other five days of the
week - Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:11
c. The other theory that "the Lord's day" in Rev. 1:10 has reference to
the judgment day has no biblical basis because the phrase "Lord's day" is never used in
the Bible when speaking of the judgment day.
B. THE CREATION SABBATH, THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK IS,
INDEED, THE LORD'S DAY
1. Jesus Christ, our Lord, speaks of the seventh day Sabbath as:
a. "My Holy day" - Isa. 58:13
b. "the Sabbath of the Lord" - Ex. 20:8-11; Lev. 23:3
2. When called into question about healing on the Sabbath day, He assured
His critics:
a. "For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" - Matt. 12:8
b. "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day" - Mark
2:28
c. "That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath" - Luke 6:5

C. BIBLE REASONS WHY THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH, AND NOT

SUNDAY, IS THE LORD'S DAY
1. The Bible states in the most positive words:
a. That Jesus Christ, our Lord, is the one by whom all things were
made, and without Him nothing was made - John 1:1-3
b. Paul affirms the testimony of John in strong words - Heb. 1:3; Eph.
3:9; Col. 1:15-17
2. It is the Son of God, therefore, who made the weekly Sabbath for man:
a. He rested on the seventh day of the creation week - that alone
makes Him "the Lord of the Sabbath day" - Gen. 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:8-11
b. He blessed the seventh day because that on it He had ceased from
all His work; as truly as He blessed the little children that were brought to Him - Luke
2:28; as verily as He blessed the five loaves and the two fishes - Matt. 14:19
c. He hallowed or set aside His rest day for holy use - Gen. 2:3
3. Christ, God the Son, assures us that He made the seventh day Sabbath the
Lord's day:
a. For man - Mark 2:27
b. The word "man" as used in Mark 2:27 comes from the Greek word
"anthropos" and signifies "Adam", human being, human race - Compare Mark 2:27 with
Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4
4. The Lord of the Sabbath made the seventh day Sabbath for man:
a. To be the weekly day for the assembly of God's people for worship
- Lev. 23:3; Isa. 66:23
b. To be a memorial of both creation and redemption - Compare Ex.
20:8-11 with Ps. 111:4; 135:13; Ezek. 20:12, 20; Jer. 10:10-12; Rev. 10:5; 14:6, 7
HOW SUNDAY CAME INTO THE CHURCH

A. WHEN WE URGE UPON OUR SUNDAY FRIENDS THE KEEPING OF THE

SEVENTH DAY SABBATH, WE ARE TOLD THAT SUNDAY IS THE CHRISTIAN
REST DAY; THAT OUR LORD INSTITUTED THE OBSERVANCE OF THE FIRST
DAY OF THE WEEK TO COMMEMORATE THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST
1. Some claim that our Lord gave a direct command to keep Sunday:
2. Others say that the apostles instituted the observance of Sunday, being
guided by the Holy Spirit:
 3. And some Sunday friends maintain that Sunday, and not Saturday, is the
seventh day of the week:

B. HOW SUNDAY CAME INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

1. It is not of biblical origin:
a. Christ never, to the best of my knowledge, even mentioned the first
day of the week, much less set it aside as a day of rest.
b. This fact is important! For Sunday to be the Christian rest day it
must be instituted by Christ, the Author of Christianity.
2. For Christ to set the first day of the week apart for rest, He would have to
change the Ten Commandments:
a. The fourth commandment teaches us to keep holy the seventh and
last day of the week, and not the first day - Ex. 20:8-11
b. His attitude toward the law, of which the seventh day Sabbath is a
part, is stated very plainly in the Bible - Compare Matt. 5:17-20 with Luke 16:17; Isa.
42:18-21; Matt. 12:8-12; 24:20; Mark 2:27, 28; Luke 6:5; Matt. 22:34-38; Luke 4:16
3. The disciples had neither the power nor the mind to tamper with the law of
the Ten Commandments, of which the seventh day Sabbath is a part:
a. They were Sabbath keepers - Luke 23:56; Acts 13:42-44; 16:13
b. They gave strong emphasis to the keeping of the Ten
Commandments - Luke 23:56; Rom. 3:31; 8:1-3; 1 John 2:4-7; 5:4, 5; Rev. 12:17; 14:12;
Jas. 2:8-11; Heb. 10:15, 16
c. No, neither Christ nor the apostles instituted Sunday observance.

C. HOW SUNDAY CAME INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

1. Bible prophecy foretold:
a. A falling away from the truth - Acts 20:26-31; 2 Tim. 4:1-4
b. It focuses upon a counterfeit system which would attempt to alter
God's weekly Sabbath.
2. The prophet Daniel saw this power which, according to Bible prophecy,
would attempt to "change times and laws": Dan. 7:25
a. It would speak great words against the Most High - Dan. 7:25; 2
Thess. 2:3-7
b. Wear out the saints of the Most High - Rev. 13:7; 17:4-7
c. Attempt to change the law of God - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20
3. The church of Rome boastfully acknowledges:
a. That she substituted Sunday, the first day of the week, for the
observance of Saturday, the seventh and last day of the week.
b. She altered the reading of the Ten Commandments - See her
official Catechism.
c. Her official books are full of very elaborate explanations as to why
she made the change from Saturday to Sunday.
d. Many Protestant church leaders are fully cognizant of this crime by
Rome.
4. But these Bible facts remain:
 a. That Saturday, the last day of the week, is the Lord's day, the
Christian Sabbath.
b. It was made for man by Jesus Christ when He created the world in
six days and rested on the seventh - Compare Gen. 2:2, 3 with John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17;
Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3
c. He and the prophets call the seventh day of the week "the Lord's
day" - Ex. 20:8-11; Isa. 58:13; Mark 2:28; Matt. 12:8; Luke 6:5; Rev. 1:10
d. A Sabbath reform was foretold in Bible prophecy - Isa. 56:1-7;
58:12-14; Acts 3:19-21
e. Sunday observance is a commandment of man and those who keep
it make void the fourth commandment - Mark 7:7-13
f. We, on our part, say "we ought to obey God rather than man" -
Acts 4:19; 5:29
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
EXODUS 20:3-17

A. THE LAW OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IS

1. A transcript of God's character:
a. God is holy, just and good; His law is holy, just and good - Rom.
7:12; Isa. 6:3
b. God is a Spirit - John 4:22, 23; His law is spiritual - Rom. 7:14
c. God is the embodiment of perfection; His law is perfect - 2 Sam.
22:31; Ps. 19:7; 119:96
d. God is love - 1 John 4:8; His law is the total sum of love - Rom.
13:10; Matt. 22:34-38
e. God is eternal; His law is eternal or everlasting - Deut. 33:27; Ps.
111:8; Matt. 5:17-19; Luke 16:17
2. The law of the Ten Commandments controls our moral life:
a. The first four commandments control our relationship to God
b. The last six commandments regulate our relationship to our fellow
men - Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 19:16-18; Matt. 22:34-38
c. That is why they are binding upon all human beings - Eccl. 12:13,
14; Rom. 3:19

B. CHRISTIANITY AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Controversy and confusion:
a. Some would have us believe that the Ten Commandments were
strictly jewish and that Christ abolished them on His cross.
b. Others believe that the Ten Commandments are binding upon
Christ, but that Christ transferred the obligation of the fourth commandment to the
keeping of the first day of the week.
2. Attitude of our Lord toward the law of the Ten Commandments:
a. He delighted in the law of the Ten Commandments - Ps. 40:8
b. He had them in His heart - Ps. 40:8
c. He came into this world to magnify the law and make it honorable
- Isa. 42:21; Matt. 5:17-48
 d. He warns against the foolishness of believing that He had come to
abolish the law - Matt. 5:17-19
e. They who teach that the Son of God set aside the law of God need
but read Matt. 5:17-19

C. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE PLAN OF SALVATION

1. The law of the Ten Commandments and the gospel of Jesus Christ are
twins; you cannot separate them:
a. The law of God exposes sin and convicts the sinner - Rom. 3:20;
7:7, 9-13; 1 John 3:4
b. Where there is no law there is no transgression - Rom. 4:15; 5:13
c. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers deliverance from sin - Rom. 1:16;
Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21
2. The new and everlasting covenant provides for the law of the Ten
Commandments to be engraved upon the tables of the heart: Heb. 10:15, 16; Jer. 31:31-
33
3. The eternal basis of the law of the Ten Commandments:
a. They are connected with the two great commandments of love -
Matt. 22:37-42
b. They are based upon the golden rule stated by our Lord - Matt.
7:12
c. No one can truly obey the golden rule and be inclined to break one
of the Ten Commandments - John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 2:4-7
4. Attitude of the Christian believers toward the law of the Ten
Commandments:
a. They delight in it - Rom. 7:22
b. They establish them by obeying them - Rom. 3:31
c. They uphold the claims of the law of God in their teaching and
their lives - Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:8-11; 1 John 2:4-7; Rev. 12:17; 14:12
5. Since the law of the Ten Commandments is an expression of God's
character:
a. It follows that they who work against the law of God are, in fact,
enemies of God - Rom. 8:7; Ps. 94:20
b. The Lord accuses them of being liars - Isa. 30:8, 9; 1 John 3:4
6. Wonderful promises are made to them that love the law of the Lord:
a. They have great peace - Ps. 119:165; Isa. 48:18
b. They will have prosperity - Ps. 1:1-6
c. They will have a right to the tree of life - Rev. 22:14
THE SEAL OF GOD
REVELATION 14:1-6

A. THE CAREFUL READER OF THE BOOKS DANIEL AND REVELATION

WILL BE IMPRESSED WITH THE PROPHETIC STORY OF THE CONFLICT
BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN, AS PORTRAYED IN THESE TWO BOOKS
1. These two books unfold to the reader the story of Satan's gigantic system
of apostasy:
 a. Began in the days of the apostles - 2 Thess. 2:1-7; Acts 20:28-30
b. This system is known, to historians, as Dark Ages, and the time
when untold millions were destroyed for their faith - Dan. 7:8, 25
c. This same system initiated the crime of the ages, a crime against
the law of the Ten Commandments, in particular by the attempted change of the fourth
commandment.
(1) Instituting the observance of Sunday, the first day of the
week, in place of the seventh day;
(2) Thus Sunday observance became the antagonist to the
creation Sabbath.
(3) It became a mark of the opposition to the Bible Sabbath.
2. With this background on our subject, we now direct your attention to the
Seal of the Living God:

B. THE SEAL OF GOD

1. Its purpose:
a. To give assurance and security to His persecuted people.
b. This is made clear in comparing Eph. 1:13, 14 with Ezek. 9:4
c. The seal will be the mark God will place upon his loyal subjects in
the final conflict between Christ and Satan.
d. It is, also, to give power and authority to His law, which is an
expression of His eternal will.
e. Compare Isa. 8:16 with 1 Ki. 21:8; Esth. 8:8; and Rev. 7:1-9
2. What the seal of the living God has:
a. God's name.
b. His authority or power.
c. The territory of His jurisdiction.
3. The seventh day Sabbath has the seal of the living God:
a. The Creator placed His name into the fourth commandment - Ex.
20:8-11, 24
b. It memorializes the creative power of God - Ex. 20:11; Ps. 111:4;
135:13
c. It states the territory over which God claims the loyalty to the
Sabbath of the fourth commandment - Ex. 20:11
d. God made the seventh day Sabbath a sign between His people and
Himself - Ex. 31:16, 17; Ezek. 20:12, 20
e. It is a memorial of His creative power - Ex. 20:11; Jer. 10:10-12

C. THIS BRINGS US TO A SABBATH REFORM MOVEMENT GOING INTO

ALL THE WORLD
1. It carries the restoration message foretold in Bible prophecy:
a. Read carefully - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14
b. Peter seems to have this reform movement in mind in Acts 3:19-21
2. The Sabbath truth will triumph in all the world because when we get into
the new world we will note that the inhabitants of the new world are Sabbath keepers:
Isa. 66:22, 23
 3. The sealing work has been in progress nearly one hundred years, and it is
claiming many converts:
a. Over one million Christian Sabbath keepers are to be found all
over this world.
b. Over one hundred thousand new Sabbath keepers every year.
4. The people that carry this sealing message are known as:
a. They that have the patience of the saints;
b. That keep the Ten Commandments of God;
c. That have the faith of Jesus - Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14
5. I am humbly grateful to be a part of this blessed movement:
THE MARK OF THE BEAST
REVELATION 13:1-17

A. THE CONTEXT OF REVELATION 13 SHOWS THAT THE WARNING

AGAINST THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS MOST SOLEMN
1. Indicates the intensity of the final struggle between Christ and Satan
which began in heaven and was transplanted to this earth: Rev. 12:7-17; 13; Gen. 3:15
2. It warns the inhabitors of the earth against siding with Satan and his
angels: Rev. 13:1-17
3. Such dire warning from God is proof that we may know the beast power,
his mark and his number:

B. POSITIVE IDENTITY OF THE BEAST POWER

1. A beast symbolizes:
a. An earthly government - Dan. 7:15-17
b. Four beasts represent four world governments - Babylon, Medo-
Persia, Greece, and Rome.
c. It symbolizes a persecuting power - Compare Dan. 7:1-25 with
Rev. 12:13
2. Geographic identity of the Leopard beast of Rev. 13:
a. Received seat, power, and great authority from Pagan Rome.
b. The City of Rome was donated to Pope Sylvester in 331 A.D.
c. Inscription of the donation is found in the Vatican.
3. Religious identity:
a. The Eucharistic Congress symbolizes the kingdom of Christ
including all the world; and the Pope the visible head of that kingdom.
b. It is a blaspheming power, and blasphemy is a mark of religious
excess - John 10:33; Matt. 26:65; Rev. 13:6; 2 Thess. 2:1-6; Dan. 7:25
c. This blasphemy is against the heavenly sanctuary - Rev. 13:6; 2
Thess. 2:1-7
d. Wears out the saints of the Most High through bloodshed - Dan.
7:25; Ps. 119:126; Ps. 94:20
e. He attempted to change God's time and law - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20;
119:126
f. It counterfeited the heavenly sanctuary and its ministry - Rev. 13:6
C. THE MARK OF THE BEAST
1. The Bible teaches that the seventh day Sabbath is:
a. A sign or mark of the creative power of God - Compare Ex. 20:11
with Ps. 111:1-6; 135:13; Jer. 10:10-12
b. A sign of our sanctification - Ezek. 20:12; Heb. 12:14; 13:12
2. Sunday, the first day of the week is a mark of the apostate power spoken
of in Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:6-9; 14:8, 9; 2 Thess. 2:3-7:
3. The Papacy claims:
a. Infallibility when teaching doctrine.
b. Creative power when celebrating the mass.
c. Sanctifying power when remitting the sins of the faithful.
d. It boastfully admits that it has tempered with the law of the Ten
Commandments.
e. It claims that Sunday observance is a mark of its power and
authority.
f. Many Protestants freely admit that the Papacy has attempted to
change the Ten Commandments, supplanting the seventh day Sabbath by instituting the
keeping of the first day of the week.
4. It must be understood, however, that we do not claim that all Sunday
keepers have the mark of the beast:
a. There are many God-fearing Sunday keepers, who are not aware of
the origin of Sunday observance; they keep Sunday, believing that the Lord wants them
to keep it.
b. In fact, there are thousands who believe that Sunday is the true
Bible Sabbath, and so they apply the fourth commandment to Sunday observance
5. But the fact remains:
a. That the seventh-day Sabbath is a mark of God's power and
authority;
b. That its observance is a part of the moral law;
c. That Sunday observance is a man-made institution; it is a
counterfeit system, foretold in Bible prophecy;
d. That when the people know the difference between the Bible
Sabbath and Sunday observance, and yet persist in keeping Sunday, they become a party
to the beast power in rebellion against the law of God.
THE TWO LAWS

A. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD GAVE HIS PEOPLE TWO SPECIFIC
LAWS TO GUIDE HIM IN HIS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD AND MEN
1. The law of the Ten Commandments:
a. This law is a revelation of God's eternal will which controls the
moral relationship of man to God and to men - Rom. 2:17; Ex. 20:3-17; Luke 10:25
b. By this law is the knowledge of sin - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 3:20; 4:15;
5:13; 7:7
2. The other law was added because of transgression: Gal. 3:19
a. It served as the shadow of good things to come, but the body is in
Christ Jesus - Heb. 9:10; 10:1-3
 b. It stood in meats and drinks, divers kind of washing, and regulated
the sacrifices and other services in the earthly sanctuary - Heb. 9:10; Lev. 1; 2; 3; 4;
c. This law came into being after the fall and guided men in their
approach to God - Compare Gen. 4:3, 4 with chapters 8:20; 12:7; 22:9; 35:1-3

B. SOME COMPARATIVE FACTS ABOUT THE TWO LAWS

1. How they were given to men:
a. The law of the Ten Commandments -
(1) Was written - first upon the tables of the heart - Rom. 2:13,
14
(2) Later God wrote it upon two tables of stone with His own
hand - Ex. 24:12; 31:18; Deut. 10:1-7
b. The law of sacrifices was written by Moses into a book - Deut.
31:24
2. It is most significant to note where these two laws were placed after they
had been written:
a. The law of the Ten Commandments was put in the ark - Deut.
10:1-5
b. The law of sacrifices was placed in the side of the ark - Deut.
31:26
c. The placing of these two laws shows that they are two different
laws and that they serve two different purposes. More about this later.

C. OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
1. Assertion by opponents of the two laws' concept:
a. "The Bible does not know two laws, it speaks of one law only."
b. "All the writings of Moses are called "the law" - Luke 24:44
2. The Bible answer:
a. The Bible does speak of two distinctly different laws -
(1) One law was spoken by God from heaven and written upon
two tables of stone - Ex. 20:18; Deut. 5:22
(2) The other law was given to Moses gradually; was written
into a book by Moses - Deut. 31:24-27
b. These two laws are different in nature, design, and duration -
(1) The laws of the Ten Commandments are spiritual - Rom.
7:14
(2) The law of sacrifices is called "the law of a carnal
commandment" - Heb. 7:16; the reason for that is because this law deals with "meats and
drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances" - Heb. 9:10
(3) The law of the Ten Commandments regulates our moral
duties to God and men - Ex. 20:3-17
(4) The law of shadow regulated things that were a shadow of
good things to come; now when the reality appears, the shadow fades away - Heb. 10:1-
6; Col. 2:16, 17
(5) The law of the Ten Commandments is established in the
lives of the believers through faith in Christ Jesus - Rom. 3:31; 8:1-3
 (6) But the other law which had the shadow of good things to
come ceased when Christ died; its function was terminated by the death of Christ on the
cross - Heb. 8:13; 10:5-9; Eph. 2:14-16
3. It is significant to note:
a. That Joshua, Nehemiah, and Daniel showed that there is a
difference between the two laws - Compare Josh. 8:30-32 with Neh. 9:13, 14; Dan. 9:10-
13
b. Paul showed that he made a difference between these two laws -
Compare Rom. 3:31; 8:1-6 with Heb. 7:16; 8:13; 9:10; 10:15, 16
THE COVENANTS

A. CONTROVERSY OVER THE COVENANTS

1. General idea among Christians:
2. Weekly Sabbath and the Ten Commandments the issue:
3. Claims of Sabbath opponents:

B. TEACHING OF THE BIBLE

1. The Ten Commandments:
a. They are called - "the covenant commanded" - Deut. 4:12, 13; Ex.
20:1-17
b. They existed, as a law and a covenant, long before the old
covenant came into being - Hos. 6:7; Gen. 26:5; Ex. 16:28, 29; Deut. 4:12, 13
c. They became the basis of the old covenant - Ex. 19:5
d. Of this covenant the Bible predicts:
(1) That it will stand fast forever - Ps. 89:24-35; 111:7-9
(2) That Christ would magnify it and make it honorable - Isa.
42:18-21; Matt. 5:17-19
2. The Old Covenant:
a. Dates back to Mount Sinai - Ex. 19:3-8; 24:1-9; Gal. 4:21-26
b. Was an agreement between ancient Israel and God - Ex. 19:8;
24:3-8; Deut. 5:28, 29
c. Was ratified with the blood of animals - Heb. 9:18, 19; Ex. 24:3-8
d. Had an earthly sanctuary - Heb. 9:1-12
e. Was faulty - Gal. 4:21-31; Jer. 31:31-33; Heb. 8:9-11; Ex. 32:1
f. Was abolished - Heb. 8:9-11; 10:4-6
3. The New Covenant:
a. Dates from eternity - Compare Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:20; Eph. 1:4 -
Adam, Noah, and Abraham had the promise of this covenant - Gen. 3:15; 9:11; Gal. 3:17
b. Was given to Israel - Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:10, 11
c. Gentiles become partakers of this covenant through Christ - Eph.
2:11-16; Gal. 3:26-29
d. Was ratified with the blood of Christ - Compare Heb. 9:14-16 with
Matt. 26:28; Heb. 10:29
e. It provides -
(1) Forgiveness of sin - Heb. 10:15, 16
 (2) Writing the Ten Commandments upon the tables of the
heart - Heb. 10:15, 16; Ezek. 36:26-28
(3) Eternal redemption through faith in Christ our Lord.

C. COMPARISON OF THE TWO COVENANTS

1. The Old Covenant:
a. Was based upon man's promise - "we will do" - Ex. 19:8; 24:3, 7
b. God knew that they would and could not keep their promise -
Deut. 5:27-29; Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:6-9; John 15:5
c. It was totally of a temporary nature connected with carnal
ordinances which would pass away - Heb. 9:9-17; 10:1-7
2. The New Covenant:
a. Is based upon God's promise - "I will" - Compare Jer. 31:31-33
with Heb. 10:15, 16
b. All God's promises are "yea and Amen" - 2 Cor. 1:20; Heb. 6:17-
20
c. Takes away sin, which the old covenant could not do - Heb. 9:22,
23; Matt. 1:21; Mi. 7:18, 19
d. Changes human nature - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Gal. 3:26-29; 2 Pet. 1:2-9
e. Writes God's law upon the tables of the heart - Ezek. 36:26-29;
Heb. 10:15, 16
f. Was ratified with the precious blood of Jesus Christ - Matt. 26:26-
29; 1 Pet. 1:18
g. It is the everlasting covenant - Heb. 10:29, 30
h. It is known as -
(1) The New Covenant because it was ratified last or after the
first covenant, and it deals with a new relationship in Christ.
(2) It is the covenant of peace because we have peace with God
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, the blood of Jesus Christ.
LAW AND GRACE

A. LAW AND GRACE

1. A subject over which there is considerable difference of opinion:
a. Some think that law and grace are contrary to each other; that they
do not mix.
b. Others teach that since no sinner can keep the law, God, in mercy,
supplanted the law by placing man under grace.
2. What does the Bible teach about law and grace? Are they against each
other? Does grace nullify God's law?

B. THE NATURE AND RELATIONSHIP OF LAW AND GRACE

1. The law of the Ten Commandments are a revelation of God's character
and an expression of His eternal and unchangeable will:
a. A revelation of His nature and the nature of His government -
Compare Ex. 20:1-17 with Rom. 7:12, 14; Ps. 111:8, 9; Luke 16:17
 b. They are an expression of His eternal and unchangeable will by
which He regulates the moral relationship between man and God and man and man -
Rom. 2:17; Luke 10:25; Matt. 19:16-19
c. They are summed up in the two commandments spoken of in Matt.
22:36-40.
2. The grace of God is God's unmerited favor toward sinners:
a. Salvation by grace excludes the works of the law - Eph. 2:7, 8;
Rom. 3:20; 11:6
b. A broken law cannot save the guilty, it can only condemn him -
Rom. 3:19; Jas. 1:22, 23
c. The grace of God is an expression of a loving Father to sinners; a
willingness to forgive our sins and to redeem us from the eternal consequences of sin.

C. TRUTHS ABOUT THE NATURE AND RELATIONSHIP TOO OFTEN

OVERLOOKED BY SOME PEOPLE
1. Grace is no license for breaking God's law:
a. Read very prayerfully Rom. 6:1-12 - Consider also Paul's words in
Gal. 2:16-19
b. Vivid examples of the obligations of grace -
(1) Go and sin no more - John 8:11
(2) Sin no more - John 5:14
2. Who is under grace and who is under the law:
a. Every one that accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour is
under grace! Rom. 8:1
b. And every one that breaks God's law is under the law - Rom. 3:19;
Jas. 2:8-11; 1 John 3:4
c. Impressive examples - Two men went into the temple to worship,
one was a Pharisee and the other was a despised tax collector; both were sinners -
(1) One came as a sinner and left as a sinner.
(2) The other came as a sinner, but left under the dispensation
of grace - Luke 18:10-14
3. Law and grace come from the same source, from God; both serve a
purpose in God's plan for man:
a. One reveals God's will; the other enables us to do God's will.
b. One convicts of sin; the other pardons our sin.
OBEDIENCE

A. "WHATSOEVER HE SAITH UNTO YOU, DO IT"

1. Setting of our text:
a. A wedding feast at Cana of Galilee.
b. Our Saviour's first miracle in turning water into wine.
2. The advice of the mother of Christ to the servants:
a. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it".
b. The result was the miracle of the Lord.

B. "WHATSOEVER HE SAITH UNTO YOU, DO IT"

 1. Implication of the words of our opening text:
a. Mary knew that her son was no ordinary man, He was the God-
Man.
b. He is, in fact, our Creator - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17
c. He is, also, our Redeemer - Isa. 43:1; Eph. 1:7; John 1:4; 1 John
5:11; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
2. "Whatsoever He saith do it":
a. Many do what He does not say; that is the same disobedience as
not doing what He saith.
b. What He says is in the Bible; so if we do what the Bible teaches,
we do what He wants us to do - John 5:39-46; 6:63; 7:37, 38
c. To hear what He says and not do it is self-deception - Matt. 7:24-
27; Jas. 1:22, 23
d. A question that demands an answer by all professed Christians -
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" - Luke 6:46
3. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it"
a. That means that to obey the Lord means to do all He commands us
to do, not just what we are pleased to do.
b. God is very particular that we obey Him in all things -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Moses learned this truth the hard way - Ex. 4:24-27
(2) The man of God that had been sent to speak against an
idolatrous king, too, learned it the hard way - 1 Ki. 13:1-24
c. These things have been written for our admonition - Rom. 15:4

C. A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR OPENING TEXT

1. Many profess to believe on Him, about whom our opening text speaks:
a. But of them the prophet Ezekiel has these memorable words, "And
they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and
they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much
love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness" - Ezek. 33:31
b. Others have good intentions; they plan to do the will of God, but
not now - Acts 24:25
c. Not so with Paul, "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood" - Gal. 1:16
d. Not so with Abraham; he obeyed the Lord even though he did not
understand all the details - Gen. 22:1-12
2. Salvation is based upon obedience:
a. Said Jesus, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command
you" - John 15:14
b. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of
the law shall be justified" - Rom. 2:13
c. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your
own self" - Jas. 1:22; Heb. 12:25
3. Blessing of obedience:
 a. Had Moses obeyed the Lord and spoken to the rock, he would have
been permitted to lead his people into the promised land.
b. Had Peter not obeyed the Lord and caught the fish that had the
money needed for their taxes, he would never have known the knowledge and power of
his Master.
c. Said the prophet to Saul, "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams" - 1 Sam. 15:22
d. God will have a people that obey His Commandments - Rev. 14:12
e. Angels love to obey the Word of God - Ps. 103:20
f. The last days of this world's history are marked by a rebellion
against the will of God - Luke 17:26-29
g. "Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have a
right to the tree of life" - Rev. 22:14
IS GOD PARTICULAR?

A. WHEN WE THINK OF GOD

1. We realize that His Name and His Character are portrayed in the Bible:
Ex. 34:6, 7; Num. 14:8
2. The scriptures express His attitude toward sin: Heb. 10:31; 2 Cor. 5:11
a. This knowledge ought to inspire us with reverence and holy awe -
Ps. 4:4; 33:8
b. We ought to learn from the Angels how to reverence God - Isa. 6;
Ps. 103:20
(1) "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
and to be had in reverence and awe" - Ps. 89:7
(2) "Let them praise thy great and terrible name" - Ps. 99:3
(3) "Holy and reverent is His name" - Ps. 111:9

B. HOW PARTICULAR IS GOD?

1. He is no respecter of persons:
a. Ask His friends -
(1) Moses knows - Ex. 4:24-26; Ps. 106:32
(2) The man of God paid the penalty for disregarding the
command of God - 1 Ki. 13:21-26
(3) Uzza perished because he disregarded the commandment of
the Lord - 1 Chron. 13:9
(4) We are warned on this point - Acts 10:34, 35; 2 Sam.
14:14; 1 Cor. 10:4-11
b. Ask his enemies -
(1) Pharaoh learned his lesson.
(2) Sennacherib king of Assyria, too, learned a painful lesson
when he defied God - Isa. 37:36
2. Loving obedience is the law of life:
a. Read these references to see how God looks upon disobedience - 1
Sam. 15:23; 1 Pet. 2:8; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8
 b. Obedience to the perfect will of God is the aim of the gospel -
Rom. 16:26
c. Faith in Christ will lead to obedience - Rom. 16:26
3. Loving obedience is a sign of a true Christian:
a. That is what John taught - 1 John 2:4-7; 5:4, 5
b. Read Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14

C. WHY THIS SUBJECT

1. The battle over the claims of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment:
a. Some people think that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is
not too important; that if we rest on one day in seven, that will be acceptable to God.
b. But read these Bible texts to learn how God looks upon partial
obedience -
(1) Matt. 7:21-26
(2) Ps. 50:16-22
(3) Matt. 5:17-20
(4) Mark 7:7-13
c. The attitude toward God's law determines our true attitude toward
God - Isa. 8:20; 30:8, 9; 1 John 2:4-7
2. The history of God's ancient covenant people holds some very important
lessons for God's modern people:
a. That is what Paul teaches - Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:4-11; Heb. 4:1-11
b. Over seven hundred thousand men left Egypt on their way to the
promised land, but only two of them ever made it to the promised land. Why?
3. The Bible teaches that:
a. The transgression of God's law is sin - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 3:21; 7:7
b. Sin, or the transgression of God's law, is enmity toward God -
Rom. 8:1-7
c. The wages of sin is death - Rom. 6:23
4. Yes, God is particular:
a. Nature itself teaches that God is particular - Ps. 19:1-6
b. God's laws, natural and moral, teach us that God is particular - Gal.
6:7, 8
c. The death of Christ emphasizes how particular God is - Gal. 3:13
JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN
ACTS 10:34

A. JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN
1. When we urge upon our fellow Christians the keeping of the seventh day
Sabbath, we are told by some:
a. "The seventh day Sabbath is Jewish".
b. "It never was intended for Christians in the first place".
2. The answer of our Sunday friends brings up another question -- what is
Jewish and what is Christian?
 a. If the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is Jewish because it had
been given to Israel, then it must follow that the other nine commandments are Jewish
also, for they too were given to them.
b. But what is more is the fact that we have in the Bible given to
Israel -
(1) The adoption;
(2) The glory;
(3) The covenants;
(4) The giving of the law;
(5) The promises;
(6) The services of God;
(7) Of whom is Christ according to the flesh.

B. BIBLE FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND

1. God is no respecter of persons:
a. The Jews had a hard time realizing this truth - Acts 10:1-36
b. Even the disciples had trouble with this fact - Gal. 2:11-17
2. What counts with the Lord is:
a. Doing God's will, regardless of nationality - Acts 10:34, 35
b. Keeping His commandments - Rev. 22:14
3. Removal of all race barriers the aim of the plan of redemption:
a. That is why Christ died - Eph. 2:11-16
b. There is but one shepherd and one fold - John 10:15, 16
c. When we accept Christ all partitions between us and other nations
are removed forever - Gal. 3:26-29
4. God has only one plan for all men:
a. One way - Matt. 7:13, 14
b. Christ is that way - John 14:6
c. There is no other name under heaven - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21

C. LET US, IN CLOSING, CONSIDER THE NAMES - "JEW" and "CHRISTIAN"

1. A true Jew is one that is born again:
a. That is what Paul teaches - Rom. 2:28, 29
b. He is a person who has and lives the faith of Abraham - John 8:33-
39
2. A true Christian:
a. Is a person that is born again - John 3:1-9; 1 Pet. 1:23
b. He is a fellow heir with Abraham and therefore a true Israelite -
Gal. 3:26-29; 1 John 5:1-5
3. If we want to reject everything that God gave to His people the Jews, we
will have to reject:
a. The Bible - it was written by Jews.
b. Salvation - it is of the Jews - John 4:22, 23
c. We would have to reject all God's promises - Rom. 9:1-7
4. God's promises are all tied in with:
a. Christ, the true seed of Abraham - Gal. 3:16
 b. The nominal Jews, born after the flesh, are, according to God's
word, "a false deed" - Isa. 57:4
5. We all hope to enter the city of the New Jerusalem:
a. That is the hope of every Bible informed Christian - Heb. 13:22-
28; Gal. 4:26
b. But the twelve gates of that wonderful city are marked by twelve
Jewish names - the names of the twelve tribes of Israel - Rev. 21:1-27
c. There is, according to the Bible, no difference between a Bible Jew
and a Bible Christian - both are born again.
OUR CONSCIENCE

A. THE CONSCIENCE - WHAT IS IT?

1. The conscience is that faculty of the mind which approves or disapproves
of our thoughts, words, and actions:
a. It gives consciousness of the good or the bad motives or conduct -
(1) It may react to the dictate of the powers of reason,
convicting of a wrong - John 8:9
(2) Or it may give approval of what a person thinks or does -
Acts 23:1; Rom. 9:1
b. It is a wonderful gift from God which differentiates man from
beast.
2. Some men are aware of its powers and have all sorts of ideas about it:
a. Some think of it as the voice of the Holy Spirit.
b. Others believe that the conscience of man is just one of the
faculties of the mind which reacts to what a person thinks, speaks or does.

B. WHAT WE MAY KNOW ABOUT THE CONSCIENCE

1. It is not infallible, as claimed by some:
a. It is dependent upon the information it has or receives.
b. What one accepts as truth will give direction to the function of
conscience -
ILLUSTRATION
(1) A Catholic, brought up in the doctrine of Rome, has a
Catholic conscience.
(2) A Protestant, indoctrinated in Protestantism, has a
Protestant conscience.
(3) That holds true for all religions, Pagan or Christian.
2. The conscience can be educated or trained:
a. There was a time in the life of Saul, now called Paul, when his
conscience approved of destroying Christians - Acts 7:58; 8:1; 9:1, 2
b. But when God gave him more light, his will, his conscience,
reacted differently.
c. He now attributes his former action to the result of ignorance - 1
Tim. 1:13
d. Paul's experience is typical of most of us.
 e. The conscience of Felix, the governor, reacted quickly upon being
enlightened by the message of Paul - Acts 24:25
3. Our conscience is subject to the treatment we give it:
a. It can be seared - 1 Tim. 4:2
b. It can be weakened - 1 Cor. 8:10
c. It can be blinded - 2 Cor. 4:4
d. It can be cleansed - Heb. 10:22
4. The Bible speaks of:
a. A good conscience - Heb. 13:10
b. An evil conscience - Heb. 10:22

C. THIS BRINGS US TO THE QUESTION - IS THE CONSCIENCE A SAFE

GUIDE IN MATTERS OF FAITH?
1. That all depends:
a. We have already shown that the conscience is dependent upon the
information it has; if the information is incorrect, the voice of conscience is unsafe.
b. If it is misinformed, it will mislead. This is illustrated in the Bible
and in every day life -
EXAMPLES -
(1) A Pagan may be just as sincere as the informed Christian,
yet worship a god made of wood or stone - Acts 17:22, 23
(2) A Catholic may be just as conscientious as a Seventh-day
Adventist when he believes that Mary is in heaven making intercession for him.
2. The conscience is a safe guide:
a. When it is guided by the Word of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Ps. 119:9,
11
b. When it is enlightened by the Holy Spirit; it is the Holy Spirit that
uses the Word to enlighten the mind or the faculty of reason.
c. People that do not know the scriptures are, according to Christ,
ignorant - Matt. 22:29; that means that if they are ignorant, their conscience is ignorant of
the truth.
3. A good and enlightened conscience is in evidence when we sincerely live
up to the light we have, but when we disobey the Word of God, then the conscience is in
danger to be seared:
A NEW COMMANDMENT

A. "LOVE ONE ANOTHER"

1. A mark of light: 1 John 1:7; 2:9
2. A sign of spiritual life: 1 John 3:14; Matt. 24:12
3. The badge of a true disciple: John 13:35

B. THE NEW COMMANDMENT

1. Opinion of some people:
a. They think that this love was not required in what is called the Old
Testament - Matt. 5:43
 b. But the Bible facts are to the contrary - Lev. 19:18, 34; Ex. 23:3
2. The Ten Commandments are an expression of God's love:
a. This is revealed in the two great principles stated by Christ in Matt.
22:34-36
b. Love to God and love to man is the very heart of the Ten
Commandments - Deut. 6:5, 10, 12; 30:6; Rom. 13:10
c. The implanted love to God and man is the motive power which
enables us to keep God's law - 1 John 5:1-5; John 14:15; 15:10
3. Why the new commandment?
a. "Love one another as I have loved you".
b. Our Lord demonstrated true love in His life while he sojourned in
the flesh - John 13:1
c. He showed the beauty of loving one another. Even the Jews had to
say, "Behold how He loved him" - John 11:36
4. What our Lord wants us to know about love:
a. That it is a living principle which reveals itself in the life of the
partaker of the divine nature.
b. That when it possesses us it will motivate and control our thoughts,
words, and actions as truly as it did in the life of the Son of man.
c. This is the great secret of a true Bible Christian - 1 John 4:12

C. HOW CHRIST LOVED

1. He loved first:
a. "Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and
sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" - 1 John 4:10
b. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" -
verse 11
c. He loved just the same; that means that even while we were God's
enemies, Christ died for us - Rom. 5:10
d. That is why He says, "love your enemies" - Matt. 5:44
e. He loved to the end; that means that He loved in spite of all the
encounters of the unlovable in us - John 13:1
2. Let us take this commandment to heart:
a. The world believes in the theory - "eye for an eye, tooth for a
tooth",
b. But the one who is possessed with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who
loved first, who loved to the very end, will love as He loved.
3. It must be repeated that what is new in the commandment of our Lord is:
a. The personal application of the love of God in our daily life.
b. A demonstration that we are truly partakers of the divine nature.
c. Putting into practice the great principle of Bible Christianity - Jas.
1:22; 1 John 2:4-7
d. A sign that we have passed from death unto life - 1 John 3:14
4. The divine principle of love has always been the same - in all ages:
a. God is love - 1 John 4:8
b. With Him there is no change - Jas. 1:17
 5. It was when the Son of God came into this sinful world, which is full of
hatred:
a. That He demonstrated with His own life God's love - seen and
experienced by the disciples.
b. That He truly said, "Love as I have loved you".
c. "For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done
to you".
THE JUDGMENT

A. THE BIBLE TEACHES

1. That God has appointed a day:
a. To judge the world - 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:4
b. The just and the unjust - 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Pet. 2:9; Acts 24:25; 1 Pet.
4:17
2. The judgment of God will include:
a. The righteous dead and the wicked dead - Rev. 11:18, 19; 20:11,
12; 1 Pet. 4:17, 18
b. It will end with the righteous living and the wicked dead.
Use the above Bible references and also Rev. 20:4-6; Dan. 7:8-10
3. Our Lord gives very strong emphasis to the judgment to come:
a. Matt. 5:21, 22
b. John 5:22, 27; 9:39; 12:31

B. BIBLE FACTS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE JUDGMENT

1. The time:
a. God has appointed a day.
b. It is, without a doubt, a prophetic day. Compare Acts 17:31 with
Rev. 11:18; 14:6, 7
2. Books:
a. The book of record - Ps. 87:1-6; 139:16; Rev. 20:12; Job and
Jeremiah understood this truth - Jer. 2:22; Ps. 56:8; 87:1-6; 139:16
b. A book of remembrance for the righteous - Mal. 3:16, 17; Job
14:17
c. The book of life - Rev. 20:12; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3
d. The angels are the recorder - Gen. 18:20; Eccl. 5:5
e. That fact ought to sober us and help us to realize the seriousness of
life - 2 Cor. 5:8-10
3. Rule in the judgment:
a. The Ten Commandments - Eccl. 12:13; Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:10, 11
b. The gospel preached by Paul - Rom. 2:16; 2 Thess. 2:9

C. THREE PHASES OF THE JUDGMENT

1. The investigative judgment:
a. The wedding guests - Matt. 22:12
b. Experience of Belshazzar - Dan. 5:27; 7:8-11; Rev. 11:18; 20:11
 2. The judgment of the wicked, when the just shall sit in judgment: Dan.
7:21-23; 1 Cor. 6:1-3; Rev. 20:4
3. The executive phase of the judgment:
a. The giving of the reward to the righteous - Luke 14:14; Rev. 11:18
b. The giving of the wages of sin to the wicked - Rev. 20:5-10; Dan.
7:13; Matt. 24:31
4. How will it affect you and me?
a. It will be according to the record we have made in this present life?
Gal. 6:6, 7; 2 Cor. 5:10
b. We still have it in our power to have the judgment in our favor -
(1) That is the message by Peter - Acts 3:19-21
(2) That was the message of Paul and Daniel - Dan. 4:27; Acts
24:25
c. Our accepting Jesus Christ and His righteousness will make the
difference - Rom. 8:1-3
d. We have this assurance by God himself - Rom. 8:31-33
5. Today, we still have opportunity to determine our destiny:
a. That is the admonition of Paul - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9
b. It is up to us to accept or reject God's plan for our salvation - Rev.
22:17
THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT

A. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATION OF THE INVESTIGATIVE

JUDGMENT, WE MIGHT FIND SOME COMPARISON IN THE AMERICAN
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
1. The American judicial system provides:
a. An investigation of the case in question;
b. To establish the innocence or the guilt of the accused in
accordance with the law of the land.
c. To render a final verdict of guilt or innocence.
2. That is one reason why certain cases are prolonged a long time,
consuming much time and means:

B. THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE OF THE JUDGMENT IS, ACCORDING

TO THE BIBLE, AS FOLLOWS
1. There are record books in heaven:
a. There is the book of record - Compare Rev. 20:11, 12 with Dan.
7:9, 10; Ps. 87:1-6; 139:1-16
b. There is the book of remembrance written for God's children -
Mal. 3:16, 17
c. And there is the book of life - Rev. 20:11-14; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5;
21:27; 22:19
2. The angels open the books during the investigative judgment: Dan. 7:9-11
a. They evidently take a daily record of my life and your life - Eccl.
5:6; Gen. 18:17-33; 19:1-33
 b. They, at times, execute the judgment of God upon the wicked -
Acts 12:20-24; Isa. 37:36
3. The investigative judgment begins:
a. With the righteous dead - Compare 1 Pet. 4:17, 18 with Rev. 11:19
b. Continues with the righteous living - 1 Pet. 4:17, 18; Rev. 11:19
c. It will end with the examination of the record of the wicked during
the Millennium - Compare Dan. 7:22 with 1 Cor. 6:1-4; Rev. 20:1-9

C. A NUMBER OF VERY SOLEMN FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE

INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT
1. God has set this part of the judgment and announces the very hour when it
would begin:
a. A day was appointed - Acts 17:31
b. The hour of the judgment is given - Rev. 14:6, 7
2. God's standard by which all will be judged:
a. The law of the Ten Commandments - Eccl. 12:12-14; Jas. 2:8-11
b. According to the gospel of Christ - Rom. 2:16
3. The investigative judgment of the righteous dead proceeds during the
proclamation of the everlasting gospel:
a. The Three Angels' message is proclaimed during the sixth seal
spoken of in Rev. 10:7
b. It is during this time that the gospel or restoration, including the
weekly Sabbath, is proclaimed in all the world - Rev. 14:6-12; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:12-14; Acts
3:21
c. We have now lived over one hundred years.
d. We have no way of knowing when the investigative work will
begin with the righteous living.
4. This is certain that we are living in the closing days of the work of the
gospel. Soon, very soon, our Lord will leave the heavenly sanctuary and the hour of
probation will have ended: Rev. 22:1-14
5. Jesus will come and bring with him the findings of the investigative
judgment - our final reward: Rev. 22:12
6. How will it affect you and me?
7. When we compare Dan. 8:13, 14 with Rev. 10:5, and chapter 14:6, 7, we
must conclude that the investigative phase of the judgment began in 1844 or at the end of
the 2300 days.

WEIGHT AND FOUND WANTING

DANIEL 5:26, 27

A. "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN"

1. "God hath numbered thy kingdom":
a. Said Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, "And after thee shall arise another
kingdom" - Dan. 2:39
b. "But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up
another" - Ps. 75:7
 2. Tekel:
a. "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art wanting".
b. "The Lord weigheth the spirits" - Prov. 16:2
3. Peres:
a. "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians".
b. "Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and
his bishoprick let another take" - Acts 1:20

B. WEIGHT AND FOUND WANTING

1. The handwriting against the candlestick:
a. Came very unexpectedly.
b. That will be true of the wicked in the last days - 1 Thess. 5:1-6
c. It found him wholly unprepared - Dan. 5:1-11
d. That will be true of the wicked in the last days - Luke 12:25;
21:34-36
e. It was overpowering, and that will be true when the Son of man
will come the second time. Compare Rev. 6:14 with Isa. 13:8; Matt. 22:12
2. Contents of the writing:
a. Numbered, every word - Matt. 12:35, 36
b. Every step counted - Job. 14:16; 31:4
c. Opportunities ended - Ps. 87:6; Isa. 65:12; Matt. 25:1-12
d. Weighed, some use a false scale - Hos. 12:8; Matt. 7:21, 22
e. God wants us to use just balances. Compare Luke 18:9; Hos.
10:14 with Isa. 28:17; 1 Pet. 4:17; Ps. 62:1-11
f. This was the message to Belshazzar, and it has a special
application for our day.

C. A SPECIAL LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS

1. We are, according to Dan. 8:13, 14 and Rev. 14:6, 7, living in the hour of
God's judgment:
a. The investigative judgment has been in progress since 1844; the
records of the righteous dead are in review - Dan. 7:8-11; Rev. 11:18, 19; 20:10-12
b. When the investigation will begin with the living, no one knows.
2. It is most significant that only God's children can read the handwriting on
the clock of time:
a. Only Joseph could interpret Pharaoh's dream - Gen. 41
b. Only Daniel was given light about the destiny of the Babylonian
Empire.
c. Only God's remnant people will spread truth about things to come.
3. The special solemnity of this message:
a. God will hold us accountable for the life we now live - 2 Cor. 5:10
b. That includes our young people - Eccl. 11:9
c. The finding of a life wanting in God's balances is a life wasted in
this present world - Matt. 16:26; Luke 12:16-20
d. The announcement of the final verdict about our life is the last
sermon to those who willfully rejected the call of mercy - Acts 24:25
 e. Think of these Bible characters -
(1) The man without a wedding garment - Matt. 22:1-12
(2) The invited guests that slighted the invitation to the great
supper - Luke 14:16-29
(3) The foolish virgins that neglected to provide oil for their
lamps - Matt. 25:1-12
(4) Think of the condition of the Laodiceans living in the hour
of God's judgment - Rev. 3:14-17
f. Let us, in the light of our text, examine our lives and search our
hearts; let us be very serious with ourselves lest we will hear the same verdict which
ended the life and kingdom of Belshazzar.
THE SOUL

A. "AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND,
AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE; AND MAN
BECAME A LIVING SOUL." - Gen. 2:7
1. Our opening text reveals that when God created man He used two
elements to make him "a living soul":
a. He formed him of the dust of the ground - Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 3:19;
12:7; 1 Cor. 15:47; John 3:31
b. He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils - Gen. 7:22; Isa.
2:22; Job 27:3
2. Here we have the original use of the phrase "living soul" or "living being"
or "living creature":
a. This same expression is found a number of times in the Bible -
Rev. 16:3; Num. 16:48; 1 Cor. 15:45
b. Thus it is seen that, originally, the word "soul" was used to denote
Adam as a living human being in contrast to the dead.

B. THE MYSTERY OF THE SOUL

1. Great confusion exists in the minds of men as to the true nature of the
soul:
a. Many believe and teach that the soul is the immortal ego of man,
which separates from the body at death and exists in the Spirit world - good or bad.
b. Others believe and teach that the soul is mortal, that it dies with the
body, returns to the ground.
2. What the Bible teaches about the soul:
a. It teaches that man is composed of two elements - dust and the
breath of life - and that in death both elements cease to function. Compare Gen. 2:16, 17
with chapter 3:19; Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ezek. 18:4
b. It teaches, further, that the soul dies - Ezek. 18:4; Rev. 16:3; Ps.
22:29; 78:50
c. The Bible does not speak of "immortal souls" any where!

C. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MAN, A LIVING SOUL, DIES?

1. This is a crucial question, worthy of our consideration:
 a. What God said would happen is found in these words, "in the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" - Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12; Ezek. 18:4; Job
21:33
b. What Satan said would not happen, "Ye shall not surely die" - Gen.
3:4
c. Who spoke the truth? the Creator or the devil? John 8:44
2. The death of Adam, the living soul, was included in the sentence
pronounced upon him in the Garden of Eden:
a. "Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return" - Gen. 3:19
b. "It is appointed unto men - the living souls - once to die" - Heb.
9:27
c. "So death passed upon all men" - Rom. 5:12
d. "For as in Adam all die" - 1 Cor. 15:22
3. What death does to man - the living soul:
a. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth" - Ps. 146:4; 1
Cor. 15:45-47; Eccl. 12:7
b. "In that very day his thoughts perish" - Ps. 146:4; Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ps.
6:5
c. "In death there is no remembrance of thee" - Ps. 6:5; 30:9; Eccl.
9:5
4. Why God drove the sinners out of the Garden of Eden:
a. Very few readers of the Bible have noticed the reason given by
God for driving our first parents out of the Garden of Eden.
b. But that reason given in these words, "lest he put forth his hand,
and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" - Gen. 3:22
c. Here is God's answer to the Soul question. Let us accept it!
IMMORTALITY

A. "TO THEM WHO BY PATIENT CONTINUANCE IN WELL DOING SEEK

FOR GLORY AND HONOR AND IMMORTALITY" - Rom. 2:7
1. Treasures worth seeking:
a. Glory
b. Honor
c. Immortality
2. But, if it were true, as some assert, that man is by nature immortal, why
seek for immortality?
a. We do not seek for that which we already have.
b. But we do seek the things which we want but do not, as yet,
possess.

B. BIBLE FACTS ABOUT IMMORTALITY

1. The words IMMORTAL and IMMORTALITY:
a. Do not occur in the Old Testament; there is not a single instance in
the Old Testament books where these words are used.
 b. But, if man had, as some claim, been immortal, the expressions
IMMORTAL, IMMORTALITY, would be found in the writings of Moses and the
prophets.
c. In contrast to the silence of the books of the Old Testament on the
word immortality, the word MORTAL is used once in Job 4:17
d. But this same word occurs six times in the New Testament, in the
writings of Paul - Rom. 6:12; 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:53, 54; 2 Cor. 4:11
2. It is most significant that the words IMMORTALITY and IMMORTAL
are used by Paul, and he applies them to:
a. God, who possesses alone IMMORTALITY - 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15,
16
b. Paul ties IMMORTALITY to -
(1) The gospel of Jesus Christ - 2 Tim. 1:10
(2) Our connection with Jesus Christ - 1 John 5:10-12
(3) It is the gift of God through Jesus Christ - Rom. 6:23; 1
John 5:10-12
(4) It will be given to the saints in the first resurrection - 1 Cor.
15:50-57
(5) It is, as it has been in the past, conditional - Gen. 2:15, 16;
3:22; 1 John 5:10-12

C. OTHER FACTS ABOUT IMMORTALITY

1. Had Adam and Eve been immortal by nature:
a. They could never have been saved after the fall; they would have
been immortal sinners.
b. But they, as well as we, are mortal, and will be changed. Compare
Phil. 3:21 with 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 2 Cor. 3:18
2. Had Adam and Eve been immortal by nature, there would be no need to
make immortality a primary condition to faith in Christ: John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12
3. If, as claimed by some, immortality is our inherent nature, why speak of it
as a gift through faith in Christ Jesus: John 3:16; Rom. 6:23
4. Immortality implies:
a. Unchangeableness; that being true, why wait until our change
comes? Job 14:14
b. Immortality is, according to our opening text, Rom. 2:7, to be
sought for by men; but why seek for something you already have?
c. The Bible speaks of immortality to be given in the first
resurrection - Mark 10:30; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46
d. But why wait until the resurrection if we have it already?
5. Immortality became the first issue between the Creator and Lucifer in the
Garden of Eden; it still is:
a. The Creator made life conditional upon obedience - Gen. 2:15, 16
b. Lucifer asserted that immortality was inherent in man - Gen. 3:1-6
c. But Genesis 3:22, 23 shows conclusively that Lucifer told an
untruth - John 8:44
 d. The answer to the devil's assertion is found in the fact that Adam
died - Compare Gen. 3:19 with Rom. 5:12, 13
e. The fact remains that immortality is a conditional gift and centers
in our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord - Rom. 6:23; John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12
THE RESURRECTION

A. "AND HAVE HOPE TOWARD GOD, WHICH THEY THEMSELVES ALSO

ALLOW, THAT THERE SHALL BE A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, BOTH
THE JUST AND UNJUST" - Acts 24:15
1. Our text reveals that:
a. Many of the Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead - John
11:24; Matt. 22:30-34; Acts 23:6
b. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the dead.
2. Paul made his belief in a resurrection the main reason for the Jews
persecuting him:

B. LET US CONSIDER THE RESURRECTION IN THE LIGHT OF A NUMBER

OF BIBLE REFERENCES WHICH EMPHASIZE THE RESURRECTION
1. It is significant:
a. That the New Testament, almost exclusively, emphasizes the
resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust.
b. Our blessed Lord spoke frequently of the resurrection -
(1) "I am the resurrection and the life" - John 11:25
(2) "Thy brother shall rise again" - John 11:23
(3) "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good,
unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation." - John 5:28, 29
c. Paul, following the example of the Lord, gave strong and repeated
emphasis to the resurrection of the dead - Compare 1 Cor. 15:12-57 with Phil. 3:10, 11;
Rom. 6:5; 2 Tim. 2:18; Heb. 6:2; 11:35
2. What is still more significant is:
a. That the resurrection of the dead is held out as the real hope of
God's children - John 5:20, 28, 29; 11:24, 25; 1 Cor. 15:12-18; Acts 23:6
b. That is a truth overlooked by so many readers of the Bible.
3. That eternal life and immortality are associated or connected with the
resurrection of the dead:
a. That is what Jesus does - John 5:28, 29; Luke 11:24-26; 14:14;
Mark 10:30
b. That is what Paul affirms - 1 Cor. 15:12-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-17
4. If the theory that man has inherent immortality was true, why, please,
associate the thought of eternal life with the resurrection?
a. The reason is obvious; mortal man does not possess by nature
immortality; he is mortal.
b. For him to have immortality, he must get it in the resurrection of
the just.
C. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
1. Brings us face to face with the fact that there will be two resurrections:
a. The resurrection of the just - Luke 14:14
b. The resurrection of the unjust - John 5:28, 29; Acts 23:6 24:15
2. That brings us face to face with the life we now live:
a. "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap" - Gal. 6:7, 8
b. Our present life will determine in which resurrection we shall
come forth - John 5:28, 29
c. Our future in the world to come will depend upon what kind of a
life we live now!
3. What is still more important in this study, if that can be, is:
a. That we can know right now in which resurrection we shall come
forth -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Paul did - 2 Tim. 4:8
(2) Daniel did - Dan. 12:13
(3) Joseph did - Gen. 50:25; Ex. 13:19
b. If we consult our life now, do we know in which resurrection we
shall have part?
THE STRANGE ACT OF GOD

A. "FOR THE LORD SHALL RISE UP AS IN MOUNT PERAZIM, HE SHALL

BE WROTH AS IN THE VALLEY OF GIBEON, THAT HE MAY DO HIS WORK,
HIS STRANGE WORK; AND BRING TO PASS HIS ACT, HIS STRANGE ACT." -
Isa. 28:21
1. This is, we must confess, a very unusual text:
a. God is love - 1 John 4:8, that is His nature; and it is not strange to
us.
b. God is longsuffering - Ex. 34:6; and that is not strange because that
is His nature.
c. He is merciful and very gracious - that is His name - Ex. 34:6
2. But what is the strange work He has to do, the strange act that He will
bring to pass?
a. He seeks to save sinners - John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10
b. He made Him sin that knew no sin, that we may become righteous
- 2 Cor. 5:21

B. THE STRANGE ACT OF GOD

1. He will destroy men that had been created for His glory:
a. That is very strange for God who is love.
b. He will cast them that are wicked into the lake of fire and destroy
them - Mal. 4:1-3; Matt. 3:12
c. He will leave them neither root nor branch, but they shall be turned
into ashes - Mal. 4:1-3
2. Why is this act by God so strange?
 a. Hell-fire was never intended for any man, but for the devil and his
angels - Matt. 25:41
b. Man had been created for the glory of God - Rev. 4:11
3. We must keep in mind the following facts:
a. God did everything he could to save men.
b. He set in motion all the power in the universe to seek and to save
the lost, including the gift of His only Son - John 3:16
4. There are other points or reasons which make the destruction of the
wicked so strange:
a. God is love, and it seems strange for love to destroy.
b. God gave the very best He had, and that shows that it was very
unnatural for Him to destroy that which He had sought to save.

C. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE NATURE OF THE PUNISHMENT

OF THE WICKED
1. The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death": Rom. 6:23
a. In the book of Revelation we read about "the second death" - Rev.
2:11; 20:6, 14
b. This is in sharp contrast to the popular theory of eternal punishing.
2. Three special facts to keep in mind:
a. The place of the punishment is on the earth - Prov. 11:31; 2 Pet.
3:1-10. This old earth will pass away and will not come into remembrance - Rev. 21:1
b. That being true, it is clear that the hell-fire in which the wicked
will be punished will come to an end when this earth will pass away. All the wicked
shall be turned into ashes - Mal. 4:1-3; Matt. 3:12
c. God will make a new heaven and a new earth and it will be the
home of the redeemed forever and ever - Isa. 65:17; 66:22, 23
3. Summary:
a. God's strange act will be when He will have to destroy men that He
had made to live to His glory.
b. He will do this act in spite of His effort to keep from doing it.
c. When men will suffer eternal hell-fire, it will be their own fault;
they, and not God, choose to suffer the punishment intended for the devil and his angels.
d. How wonderful it is to know that none of us need to suffer
punishment in hell.
e. Why choose death and not life?
f. God help us to find the soul-saving answer to this question.
GOOD ANGELS

A. WHO ARE THEY?

1. Negatively:
a. They are not the so-called spirits of dead men.
b. They came to the Garden of Eden long before anyone died - Gen.
3:24; Matt. 18:10
c. They sang together at the time this world was created - Job 38:7
2. Positively:
 a. They are created beings - Ps. 8:5
b. They are much superior to men - Isa. 37:36; Matt. 28:2-4

B. MINISTRY OF THE GOOD ANGELS

1. They do the commandments of God, hearkening unto the voice of His
words: Ps. 103:20
2. They minister unto all who are to be heirs of salvation: Heb. 1:14
a. They protect them in time of danger - Ps. 34:7
(1) Jacob in his experience with Esau, his brother - Gen. 32:24-
29
(2) Elisha in time of great danger - 2 Ki. 6:17
(3) Daniel and his friends - Dan. 3:24; 6:22
(4) Peter - Acts 12:7-9
(5) Paul - Acts 27:24-28
b. They have fought on the side of the army of Israel - Judg. 4; 5; Isa.
37:36
c. They strengthen God's people in their battle with evil angels - 1 Ki.
19:4, 5; Luke 22:43; Judg. 5:1-23
d. They are the heavenly guardians of little children -
(1) That is what Jesus says - Matt. 18:10
(2) That shows that the angels are not the spirits of dead people
because they protect children during their lifetime.
3. The good angels play a great role in the plan of salvation:
a. God uses them as His messengers -
(1) They announced the birth of Christ - Luke 2:10
(2) They assist the ministers of the gospel - Acts 8:26; 10:1-6;
12:7
b. We shall never know, fully, the part the angels of God had in
preparing us for the kingdom of heaven.
4. The Bible speaks of them as the harvesters:
a. They keep a faithful record of man's life and activities - Compare
Gen. 18:17 with Eccl. 5:5, 6; Dan. 7:10
b. They will gather the saints at the second coming of our Lord and
the first resurrection - Matt. 24:31
c. They will, too, gather the wicked to be burned - Matt. 13:33-37

C. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GOOD ANGELS

1. We should ever be careful in our conduct in their presence:
a. Herod is a typical example of what happens to the careless - Acts
12:20-23
b. Sennacherib, too, learned his lesson - Isa. 36:1-22; 37:1-36
2. We should express our humble gratitude to God for the ministry of these
heavenly beings:
a. Mention their mission of mercy to our fellow men.
b. That is what the saints did during Bible times -
(1) Daniel did to King Darius - Dan. 6:21, 22
 (2) Paul did to the people that sailed with him to Rome - Acts
27:23
(3) The book of Acts mentions the angel speaking to Philip -
Acts 8:26
(4) The book of Genesis mentions the mission of the angels
repeatedly.
3. Let us thank God for the ministry of the good angels:
FALLEN ANGELS

A. WHO THEY ARE?

1. The Bible indicates that they were, once upon a time:
a. Sinless and perfect beings
b. They, too, are created beings.
2. They joined Lucifer in the rebellion against the government of God:
Compare Isa. 14:12-18 with Ezek. 28:12-18; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6

B. WHAT THEY DO?

1. They tempt men:
a. The man Jesus was tempted by them - Matt. 4:1-12; Luke 4:1-9;
Mark 1:13
b. They mislead people, by teaching lies -
(1) They misled Eve - Gen. 3:1-6
(2) They led the nations to the final conflict - Rev. 16:13, 14
c. They impersonate people -
(1) Impersonation of Samuel - 1 Sam. 28:11-13
(2) Lucifer in the last days - 2 Cor. 11:14
d. They torture people - Mark 5:1-12; Matt. 15:22-28; Mark 3:10
2. They cannot, however, take possession of a person without the consent of
that person:
3. What a sad experience for those mighty but fallen beings:
a. That they devote their time and energy to deceive and to destroy
men.
b. They have become messengers of darkness. All they do is to
destroy, that is why the Lord said of Lucifer that he is a murderer.
4. One reason why they do this work of wickedness is to give men a distorted
view of the Creator, blaming Him for the suffering of mankind:
5. If they weaken or destroy the powers of reason, they have done great
damage to the cause of God:

C. OUR DEFENSE AGAINST THE FALLEN ANGELS

1. They are, by their creation, much superior to men:
2. They have at different times overpowered human beings: Acts 19:16
3. Christ is our chief defense against demons:
a. Disciples cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ - Matt. 7:22;
8:16; 9:33
 b. Those fallen beings know that Christ is Master over them - Matt.
8:29; Luke 8:28
4. We overcome Satan and his associates:
a. By the scriptures, as did the Lord - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-7
b. Through earnest prayer and fasting - Matt. 17:21
c. Give Satan no room in your heart or life - 1 Pet. 5:8, 9; Eph. 4:27
5. Fallen angels are students of Bible prophecy:
a. He quotes scriptures to confuse - Matt. 4:6
b. Satan knows that his time is very short - Rev. 12:12
6. Final end of these wicked beings:
a. They will be judged by the saints - 1 Cor. 6:1-3
b. God will confine them upon the earth for one thousand years -
Rev. 20:3; Isa. 24:21, 22
c. Satan and his fallen fellow beings will be cast into the lake of fire
to receive their final punishment - Rev. 20:10
7. It must be noted that Spiritism, past and present, is nothing more than the
work of fallen angels:
a. They made people believe that they are the spirits of their departed
dead.
b. This work of deception will be increased as we near the end of
time, when Satan will actually attempt to impersonate the Son of God - 2 Cor. 11:14
THE ORIGIN OF SIN

A. THERE IS MUCH PERPLEXITY AND CONFUSION OVER THE ORIGIN OF

SIN
1. Some would blame God for it:
2. But that is impossible: Hab. 1:13; 1 John 3:5
3. Others attempt to deny that sin is a reality; that when you deny it, it
disappears:
4. But this theory is totally unrealistic and false:
a. If that theory were true then Christ died in vain - 1 Cor. 15:1-3
b. It would make the sacrifice on the cross a mockery.
c. These Bible references would be untrue - Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1
Pet. 2:24; 1 John 1:7-9; John 3:16; Rom. 3:23

B. BIBLE FACTS ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF SIN

1. Christ points to Satan as the author of sin:
a. John 8:44; 1 John 3:8
b. What Christ says is eternally true - John 14:6; Matt. 24:35
2. Who is Satan or the Devil?
a. Lucifer, who was created a beautiful being, perfect in all his ways -
Ezek. 28:15-17
b. There are many imaginary theories about Lucifer altogether untrue
- 2 Cor. 11:14; Ezek. 28:12-18
c. He was next to Christ in position and influence; very gifted -
Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 34-42; Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 1, pp. 17-23
 3. How sin came into being:
a. Pride and self-exaltation came before the fall.
b. And with pride came contention - Prov. 13:10; 16:18; Isa. 14:12-
17; Ezek. 28:12-18
c. Unholy ambition - Isa. 14:12-17
d. Envy against the Son of God became the flame of hatred -
Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 34-38

C. WHY WAS SIN PERMITTED?

1. The Bible makes it crystal clear:
a. That the government of God is based upon love - "God is love" - 1
John 4:8
b. His character and will are expressed in His laws - Ex. 20:3-17; 1
John 3:4; Ps. 19:7; Rom. 2:17
2. Lucifer declares that God's laws are arbitrary and unjust:
a. That is how he persuaded a third of his fellow beings to forsake
their habitation and follow him into exile - 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6
b. That is how he succeeded to create doubt in the minds of our first
parents - Gen. 3:1-6
3. Lucifer's position and influence necessitated his own full exposure to the
universe:
a. God allowed Satan to carry on his work to prove that he was a free
moral agent.
b. Had God destroyed Lucifer some of the unfallen beings would
never have understood God's action.
c. The lie of Satan and his full exposure came when the Son of God
lived and died in this world to reveal God's love to His subjects - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-
33
d. The blackness of Lucifer's lies was never more evident than when
the Son of God cried on the cross, "forgive them; for they know not what they do" - Luke
23:34
e. Unfallen beings saw God's love in all its bright colors - 1 Tim.
3:16
4. End of Lucifer:
a. He will be judged - 1 Cor. 6:1-3
b. He will be turned into ashes - Ezek. 28:18; Rev. 20:10; Matt. 25:41
THE TRINITY OF SIN
1 JOHN 2:15

A. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE TRINITY OF SIN? OUR OPENING

TEXT SPEAKS OF THE TRINITY OF SIN
1. The lust of the eye:
2. The lust of the flesh:
3. The pride of life:
A careful reading of the Bible will show that the lust of the eye, the lust of
the flesh, and the pride of life constitute the Trinity of sin.
 4. They are, in their very nature, inseparable:
5. They sum up sin in thought, word and action:

B. NATURE AND FUNCTION OF THE TRINITY OF SIN

1. The lust of the eye:
a. The eye is the light of the body - Matt. 6:22; Luke 11:34
b. Its condition affects the whole body, "when thine eye is evil, thy
body also is full of darkness" - Luke 11:34
c. Satan has used the evil eye to destroy or ruin many souls -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Samson - Judg. 16:
(2) Achan - 1 Sam. 7:
(3) David - 2 Sam. 11:
(4) He used the power of the eye to deceive Eve - Gen. 3:6
2. The lust of the flesh:
a. This sin must be considered one of the most hideous and deadly of
all manifestations of sins -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Ancient Israel and the lust of the flesh - Num. 25:1-9
(2) Samson and the lust of the flesh - Judg. 16:21
(3) Solomon and the love of women - Neh. 13:26
(4) The antediluvians - Gen. 6:1-3
(5) Heathenism in its grossest form - Rom. 1:19-27
(6) Some members in the church at Corinth - 1 Cor. 5:1
b. The lust of the flesh is the perversion of the natural propensities,
which will lead to excess and moral weakness.
c. There is a continued conflict between our spiritual nature and the
flesh - Gal. 5:17
3. The pride of life:
a. Pride simply means to magnify one's self; the exaltation of the
human ego.
b. That was the downfall of Lucifer - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18
c. This sin plagues the church of God today.
d. It caused the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30
e. All who are victimized by this sin are spoken of as being
compassed by pride as with a chain - Ps. 73:6

C. HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST THE PRIDE OF LIFE

1. Through mortification:
a. This is no easy undertaking, but it is a must if we wish to have the
victory over sin.
b. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." - Rom. 8:13
2. Here is the list which we must mortify at all cost:
a. Fornication
b. Uncleanness
 c. Inordinate affections
d. Evil concupiscence
e. And covetousness, which is idolatry - Col. 3:5
3. Walk in the Spirit: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of
the flesh." - Gal. 5:16
4. Watch and pray constantly: Matt. 26:41
THE UNKNOWN DEPTH OF SIN
LUKE 23:34, 35

A. "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO."
1. The dying words of the Son of God:
a. "Forgive them"
b. "They know not what they do"
2. This prayer by our Lord shows:
a. The depth of God's love!
b. It shows further the divine understanding of the depths of sin not
comprehended by sinners.

B. THE PRAYER OF OUR LORD IN HIS DYING MOMENTS ON THE CROSS

OF CALVARY IS MOST REVEALING
1. It reveals the unknown depth of sin:
a. "Out of the depths have I cried" - Ps. 130:1
b. The great mystery of iniquity - 2 Thess. 2:7
c. The depths of Satan - Rev. 2:24
2. Man, unaided by the Holy Spirit, is incapable to comprehend the
exceeding sinfulness of sin:
a. That is why God has made provision for the sin of ignorance - Lev.
4:2; Num. 15:24; Acts 3:17
b. That is one great reason for God's long-suffering with the sinner,
"for they know not what they do"
EXAMPLES -
(1) Saul of Tarsus - 1 Tim. 1:13
(2) Many of the Jews - Acts 3:17; 13:27
3. That does not, however, change the nature of sin:
a. It is enmity toward God - Rom. 8:7; Jas. 4:4
b. It is rebellion against God's law - 1 Sam. 15:23; Rom. 8:5-8
c. It is the gateway to eternal ruin - Rom. 6:23; Gal. 6:7
4. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be understood only:
a. In the light of our Lord's crucifixion on the cross of Calvary.
b. "He made him sin who knew no sin" - 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13
c. God spared not His only Son, but gave him for us all - Rom. 8:31
d. That bitter cry, "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me" -
reveals the terribleness of sin - Matt. 27:46

C. THANK GOD FOR THAT UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSIONATE

PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOUR
 1. It is the door of hope for the sinner:
a. That was true of the penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
b. That was the hope of Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Lord cast
out seven devils - Luke 7:47
c. That was the door of hope for the harlot Rahab - Ps. 87:4
d. And that was the gate through which Saul of Tarsus went - 1 Tim.
1:15
e. And that is the door of hope for you and me! Eph. 2:11-16
2. That portion of our Lord's prayer is:
a. Our only defense against the accusations of Satan - Rev. 12:10;
Zech. 3:1-5
b. It is our defense against an accusing conscience - 1 John 3:20, 21
c. It is a blessed assurance that our sins are forgiven, and that we
have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord - Rom. 5:1-3; 8:1-6, 31-33
d. It is the divine incentive to come boldly to the throne of grace to
receive help in time of need - Heb. 4:15, 16
THE TRAGEDY OF SIN
GENESIS 3:12

A. SIN A SAD REALITY

1. Claims of so-called "Christian Science" are not true:
2. What the Bible declares sin:
a. The transgression of God's law is sin - 1 John 3:4
b. All unrighteousness is sin - 1 John 5:17
c. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin - Rom. 14:23
3. The reality of sin must be viewed upon what it did to the Son of God, who
knew no sin:
a. Sin made him a curse - Gal. 3:13
b. Sin made Him sin who knew no sin - 2 Cor. 5:21. That was
because He laid upon him the iniquity of us all - Isa. 53:6

B. THE TRAGEDY OF SIN

1. It separates:
a. From God, the very source of life - Gen. 3:9-26; Isa. 59:1-3
b. From loved ones and friends - Gen. 13:26; 28:1-22; Luke 15:11-26
2. It degrades its victim:
EXAMPLES -
a. Samson - Judg. 14:1; 15:16
b. Solomon - Neh. 13:26
c. The prodigal - Luke 15:11-20
3. It disgraces the guilty one:
EXAMPLES -
a. Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30-33
b. Judas - Matt. 27:5
c. Haman - Esther 7:1-10
4. It robs man of the blessings God has for him:
 a. Esau is a typical example - Heb. 10:31; 12:16
b. Israel and the promised land - Num. 14:28-30

C. WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO WITH SIN

1. We have already seen what He did with sin in the person of His only Son:
a. He condemned it - Rom. 8:1-3
b. He punished it - 1 Pet. 2:21-24
2. God wants to forgive us of all our sin: 1 John 1:7-9; Ps. 103:13
a. If we but confess it sincerely.
b. That is the very heart of the plan of redemption - John 3:16
3. He wants to remove all our sins:
a. Blot them out, as a thick cloud - Isa. 44:22
b. Cast them behind His back - Isa. 38:17
c. Cast them into the depths of the sea - Mi. 7:18, 19
4. What God can do with our sins depends upon us:
a. Are we willing to confess them? Ps. 32:5; 1 John 1:9
b. Are we willing to forsake our sinful ways? Isa. 55:7
c. Are we truly sorry for our sins? 2 Cor. 7:10
5. Trophies of God's grace which removed sin from them as far as the East is
from the West:
a. Everyone that accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour - 2 Cor.
5:17
b. All who put their sins under the precious blood of Jesus Christ - Ps.
32:2; 1 John 1:7-9
c. All who abide in Christ are separated from their sins forever.
6. The tragedy of sin:
a. Mortal tongue can never tell the havoc sin has wrought in this
world.
b. But God, in love, has provided a way to remove it out of this world
forever - Nah. 1:9
SIN, THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUL
1 KINGS 8:38, 39

A. "WHAT PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION SOEVER BE MADE BY ANY

MAN, OR BY ALL THY PEOPLE ISRAEL, WHICH SHALL KNOW EVERY MAN
THE PLAGUE OF HIS OWN HEART, AND SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS
TOWARD THIS HOUSE."
1. Our text is a portion of that great intercessory prayer of King Solomon:
a. It indicates the purpose of the temple "and house of prayer" - Isa.
56:7
b. Since God's presence appeared in the most holy place, above the
mercy seat: the eyes of the worshippers turned toward the temple of God - Dan. 6:10
2. But Solomon was thinking also of the plague of the heart - sin and God's
remedy for the staying or removal of this plague:
a. He was praying that the people, who were plagued with sin, could
turn to the mercy seat for help.
 b. Here is a wonderful lesson for us to pray for.

B. SIN, THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUL

1. Sin attacks the heart:
a. Because out of it are the issues of life - Prov. 4:23
b. It is the very fountain and mainspring of life - Matt. 15:19, 20
c. If the heart is defiled, the whole life is defiled; if the heart is sick,
the body is sick too - Isa. 1:1-19
2. A plague:
a. The term plague was originally applied to the disease of leprosy -
Lev. 13:2-29; 14:3-12
b. But this word is used, also, for other rapidly spreading and odious
diseases known to men - the Plague in London; in India, and other countries that felled
untold numbers of victims.
c. Our text, however, refers to sin in the heart which seeks to destroy
life itself - Prov. 14:28. It has marred the image of God - Gen. 5:1-3; Song of Solomon
1:6
3. Harm of the plague of the soul:
a. It has made the heart deceitful and desperately wicked - Jer. 17:9
b. Our Lord gives a vivid description of what the plague of sin does
to the heart - Matt. 15:19, 20
c. Paul uses similar expressions - Gal. 5:22, 23
d. The effects of the plague are -
(1) Loathsome
(2) Destroys all the energies of body, soul, and spirit - Luke
15:15-18; Rev. 3:17
(3) It pollutes everything that it comes in contact with - Jas.
3:16; Jude 8
(4) It is incurable, so far as man's ability is concerned

C. GOD'S REMEDY FOR THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUL

1. The precious blood of Jesus Christ:
a. Is the only effective means against the plague of sin - 1 John 1:7; 1
Pet. 1:18, 19
b. It is God's open fountain against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1
2. The Word of God:
a. Has inherent power to heal the affected life - Ps. 107:17-20
b. Is God's means to create a new heart and plant into the heart an
upright spirit - Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26-28
3. The Holy Spirit
a. The Holy Spirit is God's workmaster, who brings about a new
creature through faith in Jesus Christ - Zech. 4:6; John 6:63
b. As we yield to the Holy Spirit our lives become changed into the
likeness of Jesus Christ our Saviour - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18
c. Thank God that there is a balm in Gilead and also the great
Physician of the soul. Only He can heal the soul of the plague of sin - Jer. 8:22; 46:11
THE MADNESS OF SIN
ECCLESIASTES 9:3, 4

A. "MADNESS IS IN THEIR HEART WHILE THEY LIVE, AND AFTER THAT

THEY GO TO THE DEAD."
1. How graphic and touching are the Bible descriptions of the fallen and
miserable state of human nature:
a. It is a state of blindness - 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4
b. A state of wretchedness - Rom. 7:24; Rev. 3:17
c. A state of poverty - Luke 15:14-16
d. It is a state of insanity - Acts 7:57; Luke 15:17
2. We could enlarge the catalogue of miseries caused by sin: Matt. 15:19,
20; 23:27

B. THE MADNESS OF SIN

1. Madness is the derangement of the mental as well as the physical powers
of man:
a. When sin strikes man it seeks to destroy his powers of reason.
That is the first objective of Satan -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Demon possessed persons - Mark 5:15
(2) King Saul - 1 Sam. 17:9
(3) The prodigal son - Luke 15:17
b. In madness, passion rules instead of reason. The sinner acts by
impulse -
EXAMPLES -
(1) The Jews that stoned Stephen - Acts 7:57
(2) The people that saw Paul in the temple - Acts 21:30, 31
2. Madness can be seen:
a. By the object of choice. A madman has no true perception of right
or wrong.
b. His inclination is criminal all the way - Jer. 7:9; Matt. 5:21-23;
Rom. 1:29
c. It is caused by Satan the murderer - John 8:44; 1 Tim. 2:26; Rom.
6:16
3. Madness will manifest itself:
a. In the conversation - 2 Pet. 2:10-18; Jude 10
b. By the counsel of sinners - Isa. 7:5; Ps. 1:1-6
c. Mad persons think that they are sane and that all others are insane.
d. They are dangerous to others.
e. Madness is often fatal to its victims.

C. GOD'S REMEDY FOR THE MADNESS OF SIN

1. Christ Jesus and He alone has a cure for the sin of madness:
a. He has power over the demons that cause madness - Matt. 8:16;
9:33; Mark 5:1-13
 b. He alone can bring complete freedom to enslaved persons - John
8:32, 36
2. But sinners must cooperate with him:
a. Sinners must come to the Saviour - Matt. 11:28-30; John 5:40
b. Sinners must keep away from influences that brought the madness
of sin into their life - John 5:14; 8:11; Ps. 1:1-6
c. The divine rule of safety is plainly stated by our Lord -
(1) "Abide in me" - John 15:4
(2) Abide in the sheepfold - John 10:15, 16
3. The madness of sin:
a. How deadly it is! The victims of this deviltry are so many that it
would be utterly impossible to begin to count them - Matt. 7:13, 14
b. How helpless man is against it without Christ!
c. And yet, our God has provided a remedy against the malady.
d. There is a balm and a physician in Gilead who is ever ready and
willing to apply God's remedy to the suffering souls - Jer. 8:22
e. Thank God for this mercy!
THE SIN OF UNBELIEF
MARK 6:6

A. "AND HE MARVELLED BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF"

1. People in His own country refused to believe in Him: Matt. 13:57
2. They judged Him:
a. By the lowly estate of His parents - Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22
b. By His opportunity the schools of Doctors of learning - Mark 6:4;
John 7:15
3. Our Lord marvelled at their unbelief:
a. Prejudice blinded them against truth, preached by the Son of God.
b. They judged Him, not by what He was or did, but by His lowly
estate.

B. THE SIN OF UNBELIEF

1. Unbelief defined:
a. Unbelief is a state of doubt with reference to a person or a fact.
b. It is the rejection of the revelation of God, His will, and His efforts
in our behalf.
c. It is, in fact, closing the eyes to the evidence before us.
2. The evil of unbelief:
a. It is an insult to the wisdom and the integrity of God - Matt. 25:24-
26
b. Unbelief closes its victim's eyes to the truth that would save the
soul - 2 Cor. 4:4
c. It renders the all-important work of redemption impossible - John
5:40; Heb. 4:2; 11:6
d. It shuts heaven and opens the gates to hell - Heb. 4:11; 13:12
 e. Unbelief makes it impossible for God, His Word, and His Spirit to
save our soul - Mark 6:6
f. It is the great gulf between its victim and the kingdom of heaven -
Heb. 4:11; Luke 16:26
3. The cause of unbelief:
a. It is a condition of the heart - Heb. 3:12; Jer. 17:9
b. Ignorance or blindness of the mind is a contributory factor to the
sin of unbelief - Luke 23:34
c. Paul gives ignorance as one of the reasons why the Jews rejected
the gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 10:3
d. Bias or prejudice is still another element leading to unbelief.
e. That was Paul's experience - 1 Tim. 1:13
f. But, perhaps, the basic cause of unbelief is Satan -
(1) That was how the sin of doubt was planted into the minds
of our first parents - Gen. 3:1-6
(2) It is the work of that wicked one - 2 Thess. 2:8-11

C. EFFECTS OF THE SIN OF UNBELIEF

1. Keeps the guilty in a state of condemnation:
a. That is the verdict of the Son of God - John 3:19
b. Paul affirms our Lord's verdict - Rom. 8:18
2. It renders useless all the provisions of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
a. The Bible cannot help the unbeliever.
b. The Spirit of God cannot influence the heart that is full of unbelief
- Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:29; Isa. 63:10
c. Prayer is useless.
3. What those who are plagued with the sin of unbelief should do:
a. They should cry unto God saying, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine
unbelief" - Mark 9:24
b. "Increase our faith" - Luke 17:5
c. Lord help me to trust thee and accept thy word without any doubt
in my heart.
"WHITE SINS"

A. WHY THIS SUBJECT?

1. Moral bankruptcy in our society: Luke 17:26-29
2. Conditions among professed Christians are not much better: Jer. 5:1-3;
Ezek. 9:1-9; 2 Tim. 4:1-4
3. One hears all sorts of theories about sin:
a. Some seek to justify it; they tell us that when a person inherits sin,
it is excusable.
b. Others attempt to deny its existence; they assure us that since God
is all good, and since He is the author of all being, there can be no evil.
c. Still others differentiate between sins. To them some sins are
excusable.
d. They speak of red sins, white sins, and black sins.
B. "WHITE SINS WHICH NEED NOT BE CONFESSED"
1. This may shock some of us:
a. Because all sins are an offense to God, no matter what their nature
may be.
b. No sin can truly be justified before God.
2. But there are seven "white sins" which need not be confessed:
a. The sin we seek to justify. Untold numbers of people are afflicted
with this sin -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Adam and Eve - Gen. 3:9-16
(2) Cain - Gen. 4:9
(3) Pilate - Matt. 27:24
(4) Many Jewish worshippers - Matt. 15:3-6; Luke 10:25-29
b. The sin we are unwilling to forsake - bad habits: Isa. 55:7; Rom.
2:17; Hos. 4:17. Pleasures of the flesh: 1 John 2:15, 16; 2 Tim. 3:1-4
c. The sin for which we are not truly sorry. Saul is a typical example
- 1 Sam. 15:24; Cain is another example - Gen. 3:9-14; the Pharisees - Matt. 3:6-8
d. Using the Cloak of religion. Prayer - Luke 18:10-14; Matt. 6:5 -
this is a very serious offense to God and we must guard against this so-called "white sin".
e. The sin of neglect. The man without a wedding garment - Matt.
22:1-12; the invited guests - Luke 14:16-33; the five foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-12
f. Despiteful excuses. The invited guest that failed to come - Luke
14:16-33; the man that failed to make use of the one talent - Matt. 25:25-28
g. Willful rejection of light. "Ye will not come unto me that ye may
have life" - John 5:40; the antediluvians - Gen. 6:1-14; in the last days - Luke 17:26-29; 2
Tim. 4:1-6

C. A REAL CHALLENGE TO US
1. Are we guilty of white-washing some of our thoughts, words, and actions?
a. Pilate attempted this trick - Matt. 27:24, 25
b. That was a common practice among the Pharisees - Matt. 23:24-28
c. Think of how he pictures large groups of professed Christians!
Matt. 7:21-26
2. Are we washed white by the blood of Jesus or are we seeking to white-
wash our sins? Rev. 5:5; Ps. 32:1-5
SINS OF SILENCE
LEVITICUS 5:1, 2

A. "AND IF A SOUL SIN, AND HEAR THE VOICE OF SWEARING, AND IS A

WITNESS, WHETHER HE HATH SEEN OR KNOWN OF IT; IF HE DO NOT
UTTER IT, THEN HE SHALL BEAR HIS INIQUITY."
1. The reading of this text brings to light that nothing can be hid from the
eyes or ears of the Lord:
a. "Thou God seest me" - Gen. 16:13; Ps. 139:1-16
b. All things are like an open book before the Lord - Ps. 90:8
 2. This Mosaic law deserves careful and prayerful study:
a. It shows that sin is sin, be it committed in secret or in the open;
whether we or others recognize it or not, it is still sin.
b. It is sin because God calls it sin. This makes sin more odious and
sinful.

B. THERE ARE THREE FORCES IN LIFE, THE ACTION OF WHICH IS

ILLUSTRATED BY OUR OPENING TEXT
1. The first is influence:
a. That intangible personal atmosphere which clothes every man with
an invisible belt of magnetism - 2 Cor. 2:14-16
b. "For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself" -
Rom. 14:7
ILLUSTRATIONS -
(1) Peter said, "I go fishing" and his words became magnetic,
"We also go with thee" was the response of his brethren - John 21:3
(2) Said the woman of Samaria, "Sir, give me this water, that I
thirst not, neither come hither to draw" - John 4:1-29
(3) Paul and his fellow travelers - Acts 27:35
(4) Other examples - Acts 9:36-39; 1 Ki. 16:30. Who can
rightly estimate the power of influence?
2. The second force is example:
a. Every person sets an example for someone else -
(1) We think of Dorcas - Acts 9:36-39
(2) Paul was forceful - Acts 27:35-39
(3) Even Ahab, that wicked king, had many follow his example
- 1 Ki. 16:30
3. Then comes a personal responsibility:
a. One might as easily evade the force of gravitation as to evade
responsibility, even of a secret sin - Ps. 139:1-16
b. All are recorded in the books of heaven - Rev. 20:10-12

C. LET US NOTE, BRIEFLY, HOW THE FORCES WE HAVE MENTIONED

OPERATE
1. It is utterly impossible for any one of us to live in this world without
affecting someone else with our lives:
a. "If any man hear the voice of swearing"; if he even knows of it, he
is obligated to God and man
b. The tragic aspect of sin is that at times we share it with others -
Josh. 7:1-16, 26
c. We have involved others in our guilt - Acts 5:1-11
2. How then can we be free from the guilt of the sin of silence?
a. Pray as the Psalmist did, "Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts" - Ps. 139:23
b. "Cleanse thou me from secret faults" - Ps. 19:12
c. Confess every known sin - 1 John 1:7-9
 d. Clear ourselves before God and men of every wrong known to us -
Luke 19:1-10
3. There is but one hiding place of sin which will silence it:
a. Not of our own choosing - Matt. 15:4, 5; 27:24
b. Place sin under the blood of Christ - Ps. 32:1; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
c. Leave it there!
THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN
HEBREWS 3:13, 14

A. "BUT EXHORT ONE ANOTHER DAILY, WHILE IT IS CALLED TODAY;

LEST ANY OF YOU BE HARDENED THROUGH THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN."
1. Observe, please, the evil warned against:
a. "Sin" - the transgression of God's law - 1 John 3:4
b. The enmity toward God - Rom. 8:7
2. Sin that caused angels to fall, leaving their heavenly habitation: Jude 6; 2
Pet. 2:4; John 8:44
3. Sin which bringeth ruin to this world:
a. Because of its wickedness - 1 John 5:19; John 7:7
b. It made a graveyard out of this earth - Rom. 5:12
c. It brought sickness, sorrow, and death to men.
d. It will bring, in the end, the wrath of God upon the wicked - Rom.
1:18; Matt. 3:7; Rom. 2:5

B. THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN

1. Sin is not what it poses to be:
a. It appears in the garb of innocence -
(1) Eve's experience - Gen. 3:1-6
(2) Samson learned while laying on the lap of the harlot - Judg.
16:17, 18
b. It takes false names.
c. It makes false promises.
d. It makes false excuses.
2. Sin hardens the heart of its victim:
a. Paul warns against that experience - Heb. 3:7-9
b. Sin hardens the heart against the voice of truth - Acts 7:51
3. Sin is exceedingly deceitful:
a. The wisdom of the wise cannot escape it.
b. Neither position, wealth, nor fame, are sufficient to shield us
against the deceitfulness of sin.

C. OUR DEFENSE AGAINST THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN

1. Satan is the personification of sin:
a. He is the author of sin - John 8:44; 1 John 3:8; Ezek. 28:15
b. Sin is the devil's means to do his dirty work - Jas. 1:15
2. Our security against Satan's deceptions:
 a. Not in ourselves. That enemy of our souls is too experienced with
the art of deception - 2 Cor. 11:14
b. Rests in our abiding in Christ our Lord - John 10:15, 16; 15:1-6
c. Our weapon against him is the Holy Scriptures - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke
4:1-11
d. Prayer is still another defense against the enemy of our life. Satan
flees when the saints are on their knees, praying to God.
e. The Holy Spirit is our helper against the devil - Isa. 59:19
3. Exhort one another so long as it is today: Mal. 3:15-17
a. The exhortation must be mutual because we all are surrounded
with the same infirmities.
b. It must be constant to keep us on the alert against deception - Heb.
10:24-28
c. Daily - that means be ready to warn, to be on guard against the
enemy - 1 Pet. 5:8
d. Who has not noticed the scars in the lives of the Devil's victims?
e. How our past experience ought to set us on guard against the
deceitfulness of sin.
SIN, ITS OWN DETECTIVE
NUMBERS 32:23

A. AN APPALLING FACT ABOUT MAN'S ATTITUDE TOWARD SIN

1. He seeks to hide it: Look into the daily life of most anyone and you will
soon learn that it seems our second nature to hide sins and shortcomings.
2. The guilty imagine that they have it in their power to keep others from
knowing their shortcomings:

B. "BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT"

1. Its ultimate detection is as certain as its act:
a. The law of reproduction - Gal. 6:7, 8
b. Even Moses experienced the effects of sin - Ex. 2:12-14
c. Wicked Ahab learned in time that he would be found out - 1 Ki.
21:20
d. King David, too, learned a lesson on the utter impossibility of
hiding sin - 2 Sam. 12:1-7
2. It is only a matter of time in most cases:
a. A shout toward the high mountains will, in due time, echo your
voice.
b. God does not pay at every turn, but in due time He will pay in full
- 2 Pet. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:10
3. Sin is its own detective:
a. At times it works through a guilty conscience - John 8:1-9; Dan.
5:1-9
b. The Spirit of God will convict the sinner - Luke 15:11-18; John
16:7, 8
 c. Circumstances are other means used by sin to expose the guilty -
Matt. 27:1-5
d. Dreams have been used to expose the guilty. The boy that had
killed his grandfather had a bad dream, woke up and confessed.
4. "Be sure your sin will find you out"
a. God has a faithful record of them - Jer. 2:22; 17:1
b. Angels keep books - Dan. 7:9-11; Rev. 20:11, 12
c. Often the deed itself leaves a visible mark in our life, showing the
sin we have attempted to hide.

C. OUR ONLY ESCAPE FROM THE EFFECTS OF SIN

1. When we humbly confess them and cast ourselves upon God's mercy:
a. That is what David did - 2 Sam. 12:13
b. That is what the tax collector did - Luke 18:13; 19:1-12
c. John gives us full assurance that if we confess our sins, God is just
and willing to forgive us our sins - 1 John 1:7-9
2. This is, sad to say, true that the effects of sin cannot always remove the
scars it has left in our life:
3. You see many such marks when you go to "hospitals" or to the "old
peoples' homes":
a. You may not know anything about their private life, but there are
marks in their lives which tell the story.
b. If people will consider the fact that sin is its own detective, they
will not yield to it so readily.
4. Our blessed Saviour is our only hope:
a. He has a way to silence sin and make it powerless - Rom. 8:1, 31-
33
b. He has promised that He will cast all our sins into the depths of the
sea - Mi. 7:18, 19
c. But He cannot remove our lives from the power of sin, unless we
let Him do it for us.
d. Let us make the blood of Christ the hiding place against sin.
THE RULE OF SIN OVER MAN
ROMANS 7:15-24

A. THE READING OF PAUL'S TESTIMONY IN OUR OPENING TEXT MAKES

IT CRYSTAL CLEAR
1. That man is no longer a free moral agent in its original sense:
a. He has become a bond servant to sin.
b. That is the testimony of the Bible - Compare John 8:34 with Rom.
3:23; 5:12; Gal. 3:21
2. He may think that he is free, but his life proves conclusively that he is a
slave, a captive of Satan:

B. THE NATURAL MAN LIVES UNDER A THREEFOLD BONDAGE

1. His sinful nature holds him in bondage:
 a. The Psalmist says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did
my mother conceive me" - Ps. 51:5
b. Writes Paul, "I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no
good thing" - Rom. 7:18
c. Our Lord confirms this truth in these immortal words, "Whosoever
committeth sin is the servant of sin" - John 8:34
2. He is in bondage through the evil habits he acquired:
a. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey" - Rom. 6:16
b. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then
may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil" Jer. 13:23
3. He is in bondage by his own choice:
a. We think of Cain - Gen. 3:7
b. This was true of the unbelieving Jews - John 3:19, 20; 8:44
c. Man has been fully alerted to the work of Satan - 1 Pet. 5:8
d. In spite of God's efforts, Satan takes men captive at will - 2 Tim.
2:26
e. God has placed man in a position to choose his Master, and most
of them show by their works that they love the enslavement of sin.

C. SEVEN ALARMING FACTS ABOUT THE REIGN OF SIN

1. Sin is character; sins are conduct:
a. A deceitful heart - Jer. 17:9
b. A fountain of impurities - Matt. 15:19; Gal. 5:19-21; Jas. 3:11, 12
2. Sin is the center; sins are the circumference:
a. This is portrayed by the power of the evil tongue - Jas. 3:6
b. Think of the sin of our first parents - Rom. 5:12-19
c. Jeroboam is a vivid example of the nature of sin - 1 Ki. 13:34
3. Sin is the root; sins are the fruit:
a. Our Lord emphasizes the truth - Matt. 7:17-20
b. We think of the tares among the wheat - Matt. 13:24-29
4. Sin is the producer; sins are the product:
a. Go into our penal institutions and learn the facts about sin first
hand.
b. Visit the gambling joints and see again the truth stated here.
5. Sin is the sire; sins are the offspring:
a. These are strong but true words.
b. Tell me who your associates are and I will know what your way of
life is - Prov. 28:7, 24
6. Sin is a polluted fountain; sins are its outflow:
a. We call attention, once more, to Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19
b. That is what you see in the world and in some churches today - 2
Tim. 3:1-9
7. Sin is what we are; sins are what we do:
a. The picture is dark but true!
b. It is drawn not to discourage but to show the need for salvation.
THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

A. THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION

1. Brings pardon to the penitent sinner: Isa. 55:7; Ps. 130:3, 4; Mi. 7:18, 19
2. Wonderful encouragement for all who seek forgiveness of sin: Isa. 1:18;
Zech. 13:1
3. The precious blood of Christ covers all our sins:
1 John 1:7-9; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. How wonderful it is to know this truth from
experience!

B. THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

1. When we think of the unpardonable sin, questions will come to our minds:
a. If God's love has made provision for the forgiveness of our sins,
how come there is an exception made?
b. Why does not the blood of Christ cover this sin?
c. Do we have a way of knowing the unpardonable sin?
2. The Bible mentions sins that are beyond the boundary of pardon:
a. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost - Matt. 12:31, 32
b. The sin unto death - 1 John 5:16
c. The sin against light - Heb. 6:4-7; 10:26
(1) This sin is deadly in its very nature; it is based upon
knowing God's requirements, but ignoring them - Ex. 4:24, 25; 1 Sam. 15:1-11
(2) It is the rejection of a duty made known to us either by the
Word of God or through the Holy Spirit - Heb. 3:7, 8; Jas. 4:17
(3) There is no longer any justification of our disregard of
either our attitude or action toward light and truth - Rom. 1:19, 20

C. SPECIFIC MANIFESTATIONS OF THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

1. Any sin can become unpardonable:
a. Stealing - Achan's experience is a tragic example - Josh. 7:11, 19,
20
b. Lying - Ananias and his wife Sapphira are still another reminder of
the seriousness of sin - Acts 5:1-11
c. Coveting - The origin of sin is a reminder of the terribleness of the
sin of covetousness - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18
2. The Bible reveals four special sins to guard against:
a. The sin of presumption; it is deadly -
(1) It assumes on the goodness of God; and there is no
provision for forgiveness.
(2) Examples - 1 Ki. 13:1-22; Num. 15:30-33; 2 Sam. 6:6; Ps.
19:13
b. The sin of hypocrisy; it is deadly. God hates hypocrisy and He
made it known to some who practiced this sin -
(1) The Pharisees were noted for this sin - Matt. 23:1-36
(2) Ananias practiced this sin - Acts 5:1-9
(3) King Saul, too, was guilty of this sin - 2 Sam. 15:13-29
 c. The sin of willful rejection of light -
(1) This was the sin of the antediluvians - Gen. 6:11; Luke
17:26, 27
(2) That was the sin of Jewish leaders - Acts 7:51
(3) That will be the sin in the last days which will seal the
doom of the wicked - 2 Thess. 2:9-11
d. Willful misuse of light - This is a fatal sin God's people must guard
against by all means; it is deadly - Heb. 6:6-9; 10:26-28; Ps. 51:11

THE PLAN OF SALVATION

A. ITS IMPORTANCE
1. It is the oldest plan in the world:
a. It is not an afterthought.
b. Dates back to eternity - 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8; John 3:16
2. It is a revelation of the counsel and pleasure of God:
a. John 3:16; Rom. 8:1-3
b. Eph. 1:9; Rom. 16:25; Isa. 46:10

B. WHAT IT REVEALS
1. The fall of man:
a. It is opposed to many modern theories of man's goodness.
b. Evidence of man's fall can be seen and witnessed everywhere, in
society, in the home, and in the everyday life.
c. Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-19; Gal. 3:22, 23
2. The Redeemer:
a. A common misconception which excludes our heavenly Father as
the great Redeemer
b. John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21
3. Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour:
a. There is no other name under heaven - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21
b. 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:25, 26
4. What our salvation includes:
a. Freedom from sin - Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 7:26
b. Life everlasting - John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12; Mark 10:30
c. A home on the new earth - Matt. 5:5; Isa. 65:17-21; 66:22-23; Rev.
21:22
5. Our finite minds cannot fully comprehend all that is included in the plan
of salvation:
a. That is what Paul says - 1 Cor. 1:9, 10; Rom. 11:33-36
b. We may know, however, that when God's promises are brought to
pass, we shall be as they who are dreaming - Ps. 126:1-4

C. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION

1. To vindicate the character of God:
 a. Lucifer's rebellion in heaven has brought to many, including some
of the angels, a misconception of God's character - Matt. 25:24, 25
b. But the plan of salvation exposed Satan and vindicated the
character of God - Luke 19:21, 22; 1 Tim. 3:16
2. To reveal the awfulness of sin:
a. The suffering and death of the Son of God on the cross of Calvary
are vivid testimony of the true character of sin.
b. If you wish to realize the terribleness of sin, linger long near the
cross!
c. The scars on the body of the Son of God will be eternally
reminding the redeemed of the price paid for their salvation.
3. But the plan of salvation reveals the perpetuity of the law of God:
a. The death of Christ on the cross vindicates God's law.
b. If God's law could have been set aside there would have been no
need for Him to die to satisfy the claims of the broken law.
c. Christ came to magnify the law and make it honorable - Isa. 42:18-
21; Matt. 5:17-19
4. The restoration of fallen humanity to the image of God, which had been
marred by sin, is another great objective of the plan of salvation:
a. Man had been made in the image and likeness of God - Gen. 1:26,
27
b. But that image was marred by sin - Gen. 5:1-6; 6:1-11
c. It will be restored through the gospel of Jesus Christ - John 3:1-9;
2 Cor. 5:14-17
5. Finally:
a. The grand and glorious objective of the plan of salvation is to wipe
out sin from the universe - Zech. 3:9; Nah. 1:9; Rev. 21:1-3
b. The former glory of Eden will be restored, yea, surpassed - Rev.
22:
SALVATION

A. A WORD OF ETERNAL CHARM

1. All Heaven is interested in it:
a. God, our heavenly Father - John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3; Rom. 8:31-33
b. Jesus Christ our Lord and Master - Luke 19:10; Matt. 1:21; Gal.
2:20
c. The Holy Spirit - Rev. 22:17; John 16:13; Rom. 8:26
d. The Angels - 1 Pet. 1:12; Luke 15:10; Heb. 1:14
2. It is the most inclusive word in the Bible:
a. It ties the penitent sinner to God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
Angels
b. It provides forgiveness of sin - Mi. 7:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9; Rom.
3:24; 8:31-33
c. It offers complete deliverance from the power of sin and death -
John 8:36; Acts 26:18; Heb. 2:14-16; 7:25, 26
 d. It delivers from the eternal consequences of sin - 2 Cor. 5:17; Mi.
7:18, 19
e. It promises eternal life to all who accept Jesus Christ as their
personal Saviour - John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12; Rom. 6:23

B. SALVATION IS, HOWEVER, LIKE ALL OTHER BLESSINGS,

CONDITIONAL
1. Man's cooperation is one of the basic conditions:
a. "Wilt thou be made whole?" - John 5:6
b. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" - Acts 16:29-31
c. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" - Matt.
6:33
d. "If ye be willing and obedient" - Isa. 1:19
2. We must acknowledge that we are in need of salvation:
a. "Lord, save me" - Matt. 14:30
b. "O wretched man that I am!" - Rom. 7:24
c. "Lord, remember me" - Luke 23:42-44
3. Heartfelt repentance and complete surrender is a basic condition to
salvation:
a. "Heal my soul, for I have sinned" - Ps. 41:4
b. "I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes" - Job 42:6
c. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance" - 2 Cor. 7:10
d. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins" - Acts 2:38
4. Humble confession is still another condition to salvation: 1 John 1:7-9;
Matt. 6:12
5. Simple and childlike faith in Christ Jesus is still another condition: Acts
8:37; 16:30
6. Obedience is another condition: Rom. 5:10; 6:14-16; Gal. 3:27; John
15:10; Matt. 19:16

C. SALVATION FOR THE GREATEST SINNER IS THE MAGNA CARTA FOR

PENITENT SINNERS
1. A statement by Paul will dramatize this wonderful truth: "This is a
faithful saying; and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners; of whom I am chief." - 1 Tim. 1:15
2. Some of the trophies of salvation:
a. The woman of Samaria - John 4:23-29
b. Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Lord cast out seven devils -
Mark 16:9
c. The harlot of Jericho - Josh. 6:25
d. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
e. Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-14
f. My own sinful and unworthy self
3. The story of salvation will unfold to the universe until it will become the
theme of the ages; until it will fill the hearts of all creatures in the universe: Rev. 12:10
WELLS OF SALVATION
ISAIAH 12:1-6

A. "THEREFORE WITH JOY SHALL YE DRAW WATER OUT OF THE WELLS

OF SALVATION."
1. Wells played a great role in the history of God's people:
a. The Patriarchs were dependent upon the wells they dug for
themselves and their cattle.
b. Noteworthy events took place at some of the wells -
(1) The angel found Hagar at a fountain of water - Gen. 16:7
(2) Abraham's servant met Rebekah, Isaac's future wife, at a
well - Gen. 24:13
(3) Jacob met Rachel at a well - Gen. 29:1-9
2. The memorable conversation of our Lord with the woman of Samaria took
place at Jacob's well: John 4:1-29

B. WELLS OF SALVATION
1. The use of water as a figure for salvation is very appropriate:
a. Water is an absolute necessity for life and existence.
b. In fact, the people in the Middle East call water "the gift of God."
c. It was when a water seller went through the streets, crying, not
"water, water", but "the gift of God, the gift of God", that the people would meet him
with great joy.
2. God is thought of as the great Fountain of living water:
a. Said the Psalmist, "All my springs are in thee" - Ps. 87:7
b. Said the Lord Jesus, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and
drink" - John 7:37
c. And in Jeremiah God complains against his people, "they have
forsaken me the fountain of living waters" - Jer. 2:13
3. The Holy Spirit is also thought of as the refreshing waters of salvation:
a. Joel 3:18
b. Zech. 13:1; Ezek. 36:24-27

C. "THEREFORE WITH JOY SHALL YE DRAW WATER OUT OF THE WELLS

OF SALVATION."
1. God's well diggers:
a. Of them it is written, "Who passing through the valley of Baca
(weeping) make it a well" - Ps. 84:5, 6
b. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his
sheaves with him." - Ps. 126:5, 6
EXAMPLES -
(1) Abraham - Gen. 12:1-3
(2) Joseph - Gen. 41:42
(3) Moses - Num. 12
(4) Paul - Acts 20:18-38
 2. Drawing out of the wells of salvation:
a. God's children draw out of the wells of salvation through the study
of the Word of God - John 5:39; Acts 17:11, 12; Jer. 15:16
b. Prayer, earnest and persevering prayer, will help us to draw the
water of life from the heavenly sanctuary - Jas. 5:16, 17
c. Christian fellowship is still another means to draw fresh and
refreshing water out of the well of salvation - Heb. 10:24-27
d. Taking part at the ordinances of the house of the Lord,
footwashing, the Lord's supper, will bring refreshment to the soul - John 13:17; 1 Cor.
11:22-29
e. Visiting the sick and helping the people in need will also bring
blessings to the active well diggers - Matt. 25:31-39; Jas. 1:27
3. "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation":
a. The discovery of the well of salvation is an occasion of joy -
EXAMPLES -
(1) The eunuch, who had found the well of salvation, went on
his way rejoicing - Acts 8:39
(2) The jailer, who had unexpectantly found the water of life,
rejoiced with all his house - Acts 16:34
b. Is that our own experience? If not, why not?
WALLS OF SALVATION

A. "SALVATION WILL GOD APPOINT FOR WALLS AND BULWARKS" - Isa.

26:1
1. Ancient usage of walls:
a. They served as landmarks - Deut. 19:14; Prov. 22:28
b. They were used to protect private property - Deut. 3:5; Neh. 1:3
c. And nations used them as a defense against enemies - 2 Ki. 25:10;
Jer. 39:8; Isa. 21:11, 12
2. Walls symbolize God's care for His people in time of danger: Isa. 60:18;
Ps. 125:1, 2

B. WALLS OF SALVATION
1. In this present world God's people face continuous dangers:
a. Satan, the enemy of our souls, is ever on the move to seek and to
destroy God's people - 1 Pet. 5:8
b. He knows that he has but a very short time in which to seek and to
destroy - Rev. 12:12
2. Our God knows the deadly dangers we face in this present world, and He
has made provisions for our safety:
a. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him,
and delivereth them." - Ps. 34:7
b. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." -
Ps. 46:1
c. "By thee have I been holden up from the womb" - Ps. 71:6
3. Let us look at some of the walls which God has appointed for salvation:
 a. Bible based faith is a veritable fortress against all the assaults of
the evil one - John 7:38; 2 Tim. 3:15-17
EXAMPLES -
(1) Moses' mother - Ex. 2:3
(2) Daniel's friends - Dan. 3:17
(3) Elisha - 2 Ki. 6:14-17
b. Prayer is another wall of defense -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Job and his family - Job 1:1-10
(2) David - Ps. 17:4; 119:11
3) Philip, the Evangelist - Acts 21:8, 9
Our blessed Saviour - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9
c. The family altar is a must for every home, to be sheltered against
danger -
(1) What God says about the homes that have no family
worship - Jer. 10:25
(2) My life and the lives of my children have been preserved
through family worship.
d. The services of the church are a heaven appointed place of refuge
for God's people - Heb. 10:23-26; Acts 4:24-28

C. BLESSINGS OF THE WALLS OF SALVATION

1. The Bible literally teems with vivid examples of the walls of salvation:
a. We think of Daniel and his friends; yea, even the lives of the wise
men of Babylon - Dan. 2:12-25; 3:17; 6:10-27
b. We recall the experience of the apostles, Peter, Paul and others,
who lived in continuous danger, and who survived behind the walls that God had
appointed for their salvation - Acts 12:1-17; 2 Cor. 11:23-27
c. We think of David Livingstone in the heart of dark Africa, where
the enemy sought by many different devices to kill him, yet God was his defense.
2. Let us note, briefly, some of the blessings of salvation, which constitute a
wall of defense for the believers:
a. The forgiveness of their sins is one of the unspeakable blessings of
salvation - Rom. 8:1-3; 8:31-33
b. A clear and sanctified conscience is a mighty defense against the
enemy of the soul -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Compare Daniel with Belshazzar - Dan. 5:6, 7; 10:21, 22
(2) Compare Paul with Felix - Acts 23:1; 24:25
c. A knowledge that our cause is God's cause builds a bulwark
against all the attacks of the evil one.
d. "I know whom I have believed" - 2 Tim. 1:12
EXAMPLES -
(1) David and Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45-50
(2) David and King Saul - 1 Sam. 22:1-23
THE PRICE OF SALVATION
PART I

A. "AND I SAID UNTO THEM, IF YE THINK GOOD, GIVE ME MY PRICE;

AND IF NOT FORBEAR" - Zech. 11:12
1. A most unusual request:
a. Christ or the Messiah wants men to evaluate Him.
b. He wants us to place a value upon Him, His life, and His sacrifice.
2. Evaluating all who were dedicated to the Lord was a part of the sacrificial
service:
a. When men were brought to God, a value had to be placed upon
them according to age and sex - Lev. 27:1-6
b. That was true, also, of the beasts that were sacrificed.

B. HOW CAN A POOR AND FINITE BEING PLACE A PRICE UPON THE SON
OF GOD?
1. Examples of some Bible characters who did place a price upon the Lord
Jesus Christ:
a. Judas sold the Lord of glory for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 26:15
b. The poor widow loved the Lord and gave to Him all her living -
Mark 12:41-44
c. Mary gave Him a love gift - Luke 7:38-40
2. When we all evaluate the Lord Jesus:
a. When our relationship with Him and His word requires a special
sacrifice -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Abraham sacrificed Isaac - Gen. 22:1-12
(2) Peter's love gift to his Lord - John 21:17-19
(3) Stephen brought the supreme price - Acts 7:59, 60
b. In the hour of temptation -
(1) Adam and Eve sold their Creator for the fruit of the tree of
good and evil - Gen. 3:1-6
(2) Joseph paid the price of purity in prison - Gen. 39:1-12
(3) Daniel and his friends paid the price of loyalty in Babylon -
Dan. 1:8; 3:17-23; 6:10-22
c. When we are asked to give up the world and its sinful pleasures -
Heb. 11:24-26
d. The rich young ruler refused - Matt. 19:16

c. WHY A SINCERE EVALUATION OF OUR LORD IS SO IMPORTANT

1. We must remember the price Heaven placed upon the Son of God:
a. He is the bread of life that came from heaven - John 6:51
b. In Him is the life that lighted up every being that comes into this
world - John 1:4, 5
c. He is the very essence of the Father's being - Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:9
2. What He means to us:
 a. What will we do with our sins without Him? Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor.
5:21
b. What shall we do with our sorrows without Him? Isa. 53:4
c. What can the future offer to us without the Son of God? Acts 4:12
3. Let us, prayerfully, think of what:
a. He did for us - Gal. 2:20, 21
b. What He does for us - 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:24-27; John 14:1-3
c. What He will do for us - John 5:28-29; 1 Thess. 4:13-17
4. The least we can do to show that we value our Lord more than words can
tell, or deeds can prove:
a. Listen to Paul - Acts 21:13
b. It is said that when they were ready to crucify Peter, he asked a
special favor of them before he was executed; he asked them to crucify him with his head
down; when asked why, he told them that his Lord and Master was crucified upright and
he wanted to be crucified with his head downward.
c. The least we can do for the Master is to give our sinful and
unworthy self to Him without any reservation.
d. Think of the panorama of God's martyrs, who loved the Lord and
were willing to pay the supreme price to prove their love - Heb. 11:36-39
e. Think of the experience of God's remnant people awaiting them
before the end comes! Rev. 12:17; Dan. 12:1
THE PRICE OF SALVATION
PART II

A. "AND THE KING SAID UNTO ARAUNAH, NAY; BUT I WILL SURELY
BUY IT OF THEE AT A PRICE: NEITHER WILL I OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS
UNTO THE LORD MY GOD OF THAT WHICH DOTH COST ME NOTHING" - 2
Sam. 24:24
1. Historical background to our text:
a. David was in deep trouble over his sin against the Lord and his
people - 2 Sam. 24:1-4
b. He was given his choice of one of three punishments -
(1) Seven years of famine
(2) Flee three months before his enemies
(3) Three days pestilence in the land
2. His answer was, "Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies
are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man": 2 Sam. 24:14
3. God smote Israel with pestilence; many died:

B. GOD DIRECTED THE PENITENT KING TO BRING A SACRIFICE

1. It is at this time that the better and more noble part of David comes into
bold review:
a. Araunah, the Jebusite, offered the place and the sacrifice to David
free - 2 Sam. 24:20-23
b. Araunah did all this because he loved the king; also the Lord.
 2. But David said, "Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither
will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing"
a. This, truly, reveals the magnanimity of a penitent king. To him his
relationship with the King of the universe was nothing to be considered cheap or
unimportant.
b. There is in this attitude by David a wonderful lesson to be learned
by all of us who profess to love the Lord.
3. Personal sacrifice enjoined by the express command of the Lord:
a. "None shall appear before me empty" - Ex. 34:20
b. "It shall be perfect to be accepted" - Lev. 22:25
c. "Every man as he is able" - Deut. 16:16
d. "Neither from a stranger's hand" - Lev. 22:25
4. David was cognizant of these divine directives, and he sought to comply
with them:
a. It will be wise on our part to comply with these heavenly
instructions - Rom. 15:4
b. True love and worship are unthinkable without the price attached
to them.
c. Love to God determines the decree of our sacrifice for Him -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Abraham offered Isaac to God, and the Lord looked upon
that as positive evidence that Abraham loved him - Gen. 22:1-12
(2) The rich young ruler professed to love God, but he was
unwilling to pay the price - Matt. 19:16-20
(3) Mary Magdalene loved the Lord and she proved it by her
deeds - Matt. 26:12
C. HOW MUCH DOES YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST COST YOU?
1. Think of the price Heaven paid to save you and me!
a. Meditate upon the words found in John 3:16, their implication!
b. Then turn to 2 Cor. 5:18-21 and give some earnest thought to the
words of Paul!
c. Said Paul, when writing about the great sacrifice Heaven made for
him, "who loved me, and gave himself for me" - Gal. 2:20
2. Then think of the price others were willing to pay to seal their love and
affections for their Lord and Master:
a. The poor widow gave her livelihood as an offering to God - Mark
12:44
b. Think of Stephen who laid down his life out of love for the Lord
Jesus Christ.
c. And think of the untold millions of martyrs of Christ.
d. When you have done all this, weigh your gifts in the light of what
David did; what the Lord Jesus does for you!
e. I am rather confident that it will never be hard for you to give of
the best you have, and do it cheerfully.
f. "For God loveth a cheerful giver" - 2 Cor. 9:7
PREDESTINATION
ROMANS 9:11-12

A. PAUL IS KNOWN, BY BIBLE STUDENTS, AS ONE OF THE

OUTSTANDING WRITERS OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
1. Peter admits, freely, that some of Paul's writings are "hard to understand":
2 Pet. 3:15, 16
2. Predestination and election are among the deep subjects:
a. Which some theologians have misconstrued to fit into their own
thinking.
b. They would have us believe that Paul taught fatalism, or the
doctrine of the predestination of man's destiny regardless of his will or attitude.

B. PREDESTINATION MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF A

NUMBER OF BIBLE FACTS TO ARRIVE AT THE PROPER CONCLUSION
1. The Bible states specifically:
a. That God is not a respecter of persons.
b. Peter had to learn this truth. Compare Gal. 2:11 with Acts 10:34-
36
2. The Law of Moses warned against being a respecter of persons: Deut.
1:17; 16:19
3. Other Bible writers emphasized the same truth: 2 Sam. 14:14; 2 Chron.
19:7
4. God offers salvation free to all, irrespective of race or color:
a. That was a doctrine of Paul. Compare 1 Tim. 2:3, 4 with Gal.
3:26-29
b. The invitation of the Holy Spirit and the church of the living God
is, "Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely" - Rev. 22:17
c. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all
men - Tit. 2:11
d. Christ died for all - 1 John 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:14
e. These truths are the key to the teaching of the Bible on election or
predestination.
f. Because it is imperative for us to interpret the words of Paul in
Rom. 9:11, 12 in the light of other passages in the Bible.

C. BIBLE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION

1. Meaning of the word:
a. To predetermine
b. To decree beforehand
c. To arrange beforehand
2. What was it that God predetermined, prearranged, and decreed
beforehand?
a. Some say that He predetermined, prearranged, and predecreed who
is to be saved and who is to be lost.
 b. They appeal to the words found in Rom. 11:13 - "As it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" - "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."
3. What then is Bible election:
a. Negatively - not flesh and blood - 1 Cor. 15:50; John 1:12, 13
b. Positively - CHARACTER AND CHARACTER ONLY! Read
your Bible carefully and you will soon learn to your joy that what God foreordained is
CHARACTER.
c. Proof - we were chosen by God, in Christ, before the foundation of
the world! How and why? "That we should be holy and without blame before him in
love" - Holiness is character; love is character - Eph. 1:4, 5; Abel and his sacrifice were
accepted, but Cain and his sacrifice were rejected. Why? Because their characters were
involved - Gen. 4; that was true of Jacob and of Esau. Jacob believed God, but Esau was
an infidel.
4. What counts before God is:
a. Attitude. What is my attitude toward the will of God, expressed in
his law? Ps. 119:165; Isa. 48:18
b. Said the Lord to Cain, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be
accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door" - Gen. 4:7
c. This same truth is expressed in Ezek. 18:20-28
ADOPTION

A. "HAVING PREDESTINATED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN

BY CHRIST JESUS TO HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF
HIS WILL." - Eph. 1:5
1. Meaning of the word Adoption:
a. A legal action by which a person takes into his family a child not
his own, and usually of no kin to him, with the purpose of treating him as his own.
b. This custom was very common among the Romans, and Paul uses
this custom to illustrate our entering into the family of God.
2. The Bible shows that:
a. Moses was adopted by Pharoah's daughter as her son - Ex. 2:10
b. Esther was adopted by her uncle Mordecai - Esth. 2:7
c. Paul speaks of the adoption of Israel by Jehovah, Rom. 9:4; he
speaks of us, who believe in Jesus Christ, as being adopted into the heavenly family -
Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:4, 5
d. This glorious truth ought to encourage us to come boldly to the
throne of grace, crying, Abba, Father.

B. THE DOCTRINE OF THE ADOPTION

1. The doctrine of the adoption is based upon two basic facts:
a. It indicates, plainly, man's alienation from God - Compare Isa.
59:1-3 with Eph. 2:11-15
b. Sin separated man from God - Isa. 59:1-4; this is most important to
know.
 c. Adam is called a son of God - Luke 1:38; but of the Jews the Lord
says, "Ye are of your father the devil" - John 8:44
d. Sin alienates from the life of God, makes us outlaws - Eph. 4:18;
Col. 1:21
e. That means that we are aliens to God's covenants, God's promises,
and His people.
2. This condition makes the adoption into the family of God a necessity:
a. It is impossible for man to have connection with God without
being adopted by God.
b. Neither can we enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God without
the adoption.

C. BLESSING OF THE ADOPTION BY GOD

1. Restores a broken relationship
EXAMPLES -
a. The prodigal son and his return to his father's house illustrates very
vividly the effect of our adoption - Luke 15:11-28
b. The bringing in the Gentiles to share the blessings of the gospel
with Israel - Eph. 2:11-16; Rom. 11:16-28
2. This adoption is made possible only:
a. By Christ making peace with God by His sacrifice on the cross of
Calvary - Rom. 5:1-5; Eph. 2:11-16
b. When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we are
accepted in the Beloved - Eph. 1:6
3. Seven special blessings come with our adoption:
a. We become fellow heirs with Christ - Eph. 3:6; 2:19
b. We have the forgiveness of our sins, and the hope of eternal life in
Christ Jesus - Eph. 1:7; Gal. 4:5
c. We have received the Holy Spirit as a pledge on the part of God,
that he has accepted us into His family - Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:16, 17
d. We are kept unto salvation by the power of God in Christ Jesus -
Eph. 3:20, 21
e. We have the promise of eternal life to be given to us at the second
coming of Jesus Christ our Lord - John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:22-58
f. We shall be on the new earth, and eat of the tree of life - Rev. 2:7;
22:1-6
g. Finally, having been adopted into the family of God, God is
willing to cast into the depths of the sea all our shortcomings - Mi. 7:18, 19; 2 Cor. 5:17
4. This knowledge of the inclusiveness of our adoption into the family of
God ought to set us free:
a. From the bondage of fear; we come boldly to the throne of grace
crying Abba, Father - Compare Gal. 3:26-29; 4:6; Rom. 8:15 with 2 Cor. 5:17
OUR JUSTIFICATION

A. "THEREFORE AS BY THE OFFENSE OF ONE JUDGMENT CAME UPON

ALL MEN TO CONDEMNATION; EVEN SO BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ONE
THE FREE GIFT CAME UPON ALL MEN UNTO JUSTIFICATION OF LIFE." -
Rom. 5:18
1. Meaning of the word JUSTIFICATION:
a. To declare right or just - Isa. 53:11; Job 27:5
b. To be free from wrong in what we say or do - Ezek. 14:14, 20
2. The meaning of the word is the same in both testaments. The Greek word
"Dikaioo" means:
a. To declare righteous or just - Luke 16:15; Rom. 3:30
b. To make just or upright - Rom. 8:30-32

B. THE WORKING OF OUR JUSTIFICATION

1. Negatively
a. No one can be justified by the works of the law because by the law
is the knowledge of sin - Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; 3:10
b. A transgressor of the law is under condemnation, and for that
reason cannot be justified by the broken law - Rom. 3:21; 7:7; 1 John 3:4 -
EXAMPLES -
(1) The Jews that brought the woman to the Master were guilty
of the same sin, and for that reason were under the same condemnation - John 8:1-11
(2) The Pharisee that went to the temple to tell God how good
he was, was a sinner as well as the publican, and for that reason was under condemnation
as well as the publican - Luke 18:10-14
c. No one can be justified by his own deeds because all our own
righteousness is but filthy rags - Isa. 64:6
2. Positively:
a. We are justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord; it is
the free gift of God - Rom. 3:36; 4:5; 5:1; Acts 13:39
b. We are justified by the blood of the Son of God - Rom. 5:9; Tit.
3:7
c. Only the grace of God will remove condemnation out of our life -
Rom. 3:24; Tit. 3:7; Eph. 2:7, 8

C. BLESSINGS OF OUR JUSTIFICATION

1. Extent of our justification:
a. It covers us completely - past, present, and future - Compare Acts
13:39 with Rom. 8:1, 33, 34; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9
b. It brings peace to us; the moment we are justified we are at peace
with God the Father through the atonement made by our Lord - Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:11-16
c. It gives us hope, "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever" - Ps. 23:6; Tit. 3:7 (R.S.V.)
d. It saves us from the wrath to come - "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" - Rom. 8:1; "old things are passed
away; behold all things are become new" - 2 Cor. 5:17, "and all things are of God" - verse
18
2. Effect of our justification:
 a. It excludes boasting by man of his own goodness - Rom. 3:27 -
"That no flesh should glory in his presence" - 1 Cor. 1:29; "Not of works, lest any man
should boast." - Eph. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9
b. Our boasting will be in the Lord Jesus Christ, who of God has been
made our wisdom, our righteousness, and our sanctification and redemption - 1 Cor. 1:30
c. The justification by faith in Jesus will give us boldness to come to
the throne of grace and commune with our heavenly Father, rejoicing in hope - Heb. 4:15,
16
d. Such justification will make us feel our need to lean upon the Lord
in all that we do and hope for; we lost all confidence in the flesh - Phil. 3:3
3. Finally, justification:
a. Will bring a new and glorious experience to the believer; he is a
new creature and has a new outlook upon life. The future is as bright as God's wonderful
promises; he turns to the Lord and prays, "Remember me when thou comest in thy
kingdom."
b. He will be glorified at the appearing of the Son of God to be
glorified in the saints.
GOD'S FIRST MAN
GENESIS 1:26, 27

A. A STUDY OF MANKIND IS VERY INTERESTING AND MOST

REVEALING
1. One finds mankind of vastly different caliber:
a. Some live on a much lower level than others.
b. This raises the question - who and what is responsible for this great
divergence?
(1) Did God make men so different?
(2) Or is it man's own deliberate choice?
2. The purpose of this sermon is to show that God neither willed it that way
nor did He make men so different:
a. Man was created with the powers of choice - good or evil; a higher
level of living or a lower level of living.
b. This fact is seen clearly in the experience of our first parents.
c. The record of the creation of Adam and Eve will tell the story.

B. LET US CONSIDER
1. The substance of God's first man:
a. God formed him of the dust of the ground - Gen. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:47;
Eccl. 12:7
b. He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and man became a
living soul - Gen. 2:7; Isa. 2:22; 1 Cor. 15:45
2. Thus we learn from the Bible record of the creation of man that he is
composed of two components:
a. Clay - Isa. 45:9
b. Breath - Eccl. 3:19, 20
3. Man was made in the image and likeness of God:
 a. Adam reflected the Creator's likeness in his physical and moral
makeup - Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1-3; 1 Cor. 11:7
b. He had been endowed with great mental power - Gen. 2:19; Eccl.
7:29
c. He was crowned ruler over this world - Gen. 1:26, 27; Ps. 8:4-9

C. THE CHANGE OF MEN AND THEIR WAYS OF LIVING ARE

1. The result of departure from the principles that God laid down when man
was created:
a. Men ignored God's plan of living; they followed their own
imagination -
(1) Adam and Eve ignored God's warning and believed a lie -
Gen. 3:1-6
(2) Cain ignored the warning of God and killed his brother -
Gen. 4:3-16
(3) The antediluvians, too, disregarded the warning of the Lord
and perished in the flood - Gen. 6; 7; 9; Matt. 24:36-39
b. Mens' rebellion against God caused the Lord to let them follow the
imagination of their evil hearts - Rom. 1:18-20, 24-32
2. God has, in mercy, provided a way and a means to lift man on a high and
level platform:
a. Through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 1:26
b. When people accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, all man-made
partitions will disappear - all come upon the same level of living - Eph. 2:11-16; Gal.
3:26-29
c. It is God's truth that changes man's concept of life. The missions
in Africa and other third-world countries speak eloquently for the power that raises
people up, brings them upon a higher plane of living.
3. God's first man was noble in stature and in moral character:
a. Had our first parents resisted the lie brought to them by Lucifer,
there would never have been a low level of life by any of Adam's descendants.
b. It is God's purpose to bring mankind back upon the moral and
mental platform He had placed our first parents in.
c. All this will be consummated in due time through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
d. Will God succeed with you and with me? That depends upon our
willingness to cooperate with our Creator and Redeemer.
FALSE AND FUTILE ATTEMPTS FOR SALVATION

A. THE ATMOSPHERE IS FULL OF RELIGIOUS ATTEMPTS, DECEPTIVE

AND FUTILE, TO OFFER A REMEDY FOR MAN'S DIFFICULTIES
1. Modern means of communication lend themselves to untold
advertisements of many futile panaceas to remedy human ills:
a. Some say that the best way to get rid of sin is to deny its existence.
b. Others prescribe mental and physical tortures to bring relief to a
guilty conscience.
 2. But the fact remains that:
a. Lawlessness is on the increase.
b. Immorality is at large and sin bounds.

B. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE FUTILE EFFORTS BY MEN

1. Salvation through character:
a. The "character" - homebrew is the sign over the door of self-
righteousness.
b. That was the very heart of the Jewish sect - the Pharisees - Luke
18:11, 12; Rom. 10:3
c. On the surface that seems very inviting until you realize that by
nature no one possesses the character God requires - Rom. 3:9-19
d. This truth is freely stated in the Bible - Rom. 3:10, 11; Isa. 6:5;
64:6; Job. 42:5, 6; John 15:5
2. Salvation through education:
a. One man looks for salvation through character or what he is!
b. While the other man trusts in education or what he knows!
c. A third man seeks salvation through service or what he does. He
comes to the Lord and says, "What shall I do that I might work the works of God? - John
6:28
d. But experience shows that education does not and cannot change
man's sinful nature!
e. A heart polluted by sin is unaffected by the knowledge one may
possess, valuable as that may be - Dan. 5:18-23
3. Salvation through works: Let us take a closer look at this third futile
attempt to be saved -
a. Does not the Bible speak of good works?
b. Yes, indeed, it does speak of good works
c. But the good works the Bible speaks as being acceptable to God
are -
(1) Not the works of the flesh - Gal. 5:18-21
(2) They are the works wrought in God - Gal. 2:8; 2 Cor. 5:5;
Acts 15:12; John 3:21
(3) They are, in fact, the fruit of the Holy Spirit - Gal. 5:22-23

C. THE PLAIN TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION

1. There is no cure for sin outside of our Saviour:
a. This fact stands affirmed by heaven and confirmed by the
atonement made by the Son of God on the cross of Calvary.
b. "For there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4:12
c. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" - John 6:53
2. They who seek salvation by and through their own devices and means:
a. Reject the plan of redemption as conceived by God and carried out
by the Son of man - John 5:40
 b. They despise the infinite sacrifice made for man on the shameful
cross of Calvary - Heb. 10:26-29
c. To them Heaven says, "Ye shall die in your sins" - John 8:21
3. This, dear friend, is a truth which, if accepted in faith, will make the
difference between being saved through Jesus Christ, or, if rejected, will doom the
unbeliever.
THE CHASM BRIDGED

A. SIN IS THE BIBLICAL CHASM SEPARATING THE SINNER FROM GOD

1. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God": Isa. 59:2
2. The Psalmist speaks of this separation as a breach, "Therefore he said that
he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach": Ps.
106:23
3. Christ uses, in his parable, the word "gulf" to indicate the chasm between
the sinner and God caused by sin: Luke 16:26

B. THE CHASM BRIDGED

1. God, in love, found a way to bridge the chasm which had separated man
from God:
a. He sent His only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to redeem man
from his fallen condition - Rom. 8:1-3; John 3:16
b. He made him sin, who knew no sin, that the sinner be placed into a
new relationship with God - 2 Cor. 5:18-20
2. Christ is the divine bridge between man and God:
a. His name indicates what he does for the penitent sinner, "thou shalt
call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" - Matt. 1:21
b. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4:12
3. This bridge was costly to Heaven:
a. "ye are bought with a price" - 1 Cor. 6:20
b. We are blood bought - Acts 20:28; 1 Pete. 1:18, 19; Rev. 5:9
c. He, at whose command was the wealth of the universe, became so
poor that he had not where to lay his own head - 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6-11
d. He was made a curse for us, that was the most painful price heaven
paid - Gal. 3:13
Our finite minds are not capable to fathom the cost of bridging the great
gulf between God and the sinner, but it was made just the same.

C. GOD'S BRIDGE ACROSS THE GULF OF SIN HAS BEEN IN OPERATION

SINCE THE DAYS WHEN ADAM AND EVE WERE DRIVEN OUT OF THEIR
PARADISE HOME
1. The promise was given:
a. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" - Gen. 3:15;
Job 9:17; Rom. 16:20
 b. This promise was repeated to Noah, to Abraham, and his posterity
- Gen. 8:20-22; Gal. 3:18
c. The promise includes all who come unto God by Jesus Christ our
Lord - Acts 2:30; 13:23; Rom. 9:3-8
2. The cost has been covered and the connections between heaven and earth
have secured it that the Son of man is now our advocate in the presence of the Father:
3. That is why our Lord assures us with these immortal words:
a. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me" - John 14:6
b. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me"
- John 12:32
4. Many, many penitent sinners have crossed this bridge since it was built by
God's mercy:
a. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
b. The keeper of the prison, who would have committed suicide,
crossed that bridge by night - Acts 17:30-34
c. Untold millions cross this bridge every year.
d. How wonderful it is to know that the chasm that separated us from
God and the kingdom of heaven is still intact; it still operates. Let us use it!
FOUR SPANS IN THE BRIDGE OF SALVATION
EPHESIANS 2:14, 15

A. TO AFFECT MAN'S REUNION WITH GOD, FIVE THINGS MUST BE DONE

1. Man must be restored to such a relationship with God as shall make
possible the fulfillment of the original, divine intention in creation:
a. Adam was made in the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27
b. He was made perfect or upright - Eccl. 7:29
2. The sin question must be fully and finally settled:
a. God's broken law must be vindicated - Rom. 8:1-6
b. Sin must be dealt with in respect to its guilt, penalty, power and
presence.
3. Such propitiation and reconciliation must be effected as shall remove the
barrier of separation between God and man and give to every person the opportunity of
restoration to God's favor and fellowship:
4. A new order of human beings must be inaugurated to supersede the old
order which is in ruin and rejection:
5. Satan, the original cause and continual instigator of sin in man, must be
defeated and dethroned. God's sovereignty over all things must be fully restored:

B. TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH A BRIDGE OF SALVATION GOD ERECTED A

BRIDGE OF FOUR SPANS OVER THE CHASM MADE BY SIN
1. Incarnation is the first span:
a. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel" - Isa. 7:14
 b. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isa. 9:6
c. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." -
John 1:14
2. The crucifixion of our Lord is the second span in the divine bridge:
a. The incarnation brought God to men, but it could not bring man to
God.
b. The incarnation was not an end but a means to an end.
c. It paved the way for our Lord's death on the cross
d. The goal of the incarnation was His death and his death is the span
bridging the chasm of sin.
e. Christ came not only to live here, but also to die.
Please read very prayerfully Matt. 1:21; Luke 2:11; Matt. 20:28; Heb.
10:5, 10
3. The resurrection of Christ is truly the third span in the bridge of salvation:
a. Peter emphasized very strongly the close relationship between the
death and the resurrection of Christ - Acts 2:32-33
b. Paul, too, connects the two great events in the experience of Christ
- 1 Cor. 15:1-18; Col. 1:18
4. But, to complete the divine bridge across the chasm between the sinner
and God, it took the fourth span - Ascension and exaltation of our blessed Lord:
a. His ascension was necessary to become our mediator or intercessor
- 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2
b. Also, to send the Holy Spirit to take his place in this world - John
14:26; 15:26; 16:7, 8
c. What a day it must have been when the Victor over sin and death
entered heaven bringing some of his trophies with him! Ps. 24:7-10
d. What is important for us is that He took humanity with Him to the
highest heaven - Eph. 2:1-4
e. And what is still more glorious for us, he went to heaven to prepare
a place for us - John 14:1-3
f. O the height and the depth of God's unspeakable gift to men!
THE GOSPEL OF GOD
ROMANS 1:1, 16, 17

A. THE GOSPEL DEFINED

1. Good tidings of great joy: Luke 2:10; Isa. 52:7
2. The power of God unto salvation: Rom. 1:16; 16:25

B. THE GOSPEL IS SPOKEN OF IN THE BIBLE AS

1. The gospel of God: 1 Thess. 2:9; 1 Tim. 1:11
2. God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, the supreme gift of
heaven: John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33
 3. He reconciled the world unto Himself by Jesus Christ our Lord: 2 Cor.
5:18-21
4. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ: Mark 1:1; Rom. 15:19
a. He is the author of our salvation - Heb. 12:2; Acts 4:12
b. He is God's only means of salvation - 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:17
5. The gospel of grace: Acts 20:24; Eph. 2:7, 8
6. The gospel of peace:
a. It brings peace between a rebellious world and God - 2 Cor. 5:18-
21; Rom. 5:1
b. Christ made peace by taking the curse, which rested upon the
world, upon himself - Gal. 3:13; Eph. 2:14
7. The gospel of the kingdom: Matt. 4:23; 24:14
a. It is the gospel of the kingdom because it announces the restoration
of the kingdom of God through Jesus our Lord.
b. It proclaims that the dominion lost through sin will be restored to
the daughter of Zion - Mi. 4:8; Rev. 11:15
c. It points to the fulfillment of God's original plan of complete
restoration of the world to Himself by Jesus Christ - Eph. 1:1-14
8. The gospel of our salvation:
a. It proclaims God's means to save us from sin - Matt. 1:21
b. It makes known God's method of saving us from the power of sin -
Rom. 1:16; Acts 26:18-20
9. The everlasting gospel:
a. It is God's final invitation to sinners to come to the great supper -
Luke 14:16-25; 2 Cor. 6:1-3
b. Announcing the Hour of God's judgment - Rev. 14:6-8
c. Proclaiming the fall of Babylon - Rev. 14:8, 9
d. Warns against the worship of the beast, his image, and the mark of
his name - Rev. 13:11-17; 14:9-11

C. THE GOSPEL OF GOD IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION

1. It saves us from the guilt of sin:
Mark 2:1-11; Rom. 8:1
2. It offers complete pardon to the penitent sinner:
Isa. 55:7; Mi. 7:18, 19
3. It brings peace to troubled hearts: Col. 1:20; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; 2 Cor.
5:18-21
4. It sets us free from the enslaving power of sin: Acts 26:18; Rom. 6:14-16,
17
5. And finally, it delivers us from the eternal consequences of sin:
a. Think of what that means to all who have sowed the seed of
lawlessness which should bring a harvest judgment upon the guilty - Gal. 6:7-9
b. But a merciful God promises to the penitent sinner that He will
forever blot out all his sin - Mi. 7:18, 19; Isa. 44:22
c. He will not bring the former things into remembrance - Rev. 21:1;
22:3
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
ROMANS 1:16, 17, 18

A. THERE ARE THINGS IN LIFE OF WHICH MAN HAS A GOOD REASON

TO BE ASHAMED OF
1. Of the way he acts at times:
2. Of his unbelief: This is so manifest at times that one is reminded of our
Lord's experience in his own community - Matt. 13:57, 58
3. But no one need be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
a. This was a bold statement for Paul to make at a time when the
gospel of the crucified king of the Jews was frowned upon - 1 Cor. 1:23, 24
b. To many the gospel was a great stumbling block
c. To the Greeks it was simple foolishness - 1 Cor. 1:23, 24; 2:14

B. SOME REASONS FOR PAUL'S BOLDNESS

1. Paul learned through experience that the gospel of Christ is the power of
God unto salvation:
a. He saw with his own eyes how the acceptance of the gospel
brought miraculous changes into the lives of the people -
EXAMPLES -
(1) His experience at Ephesus - Acts 19:1-19
(2) His experience at Philippi - Acts 16:12-34
b. He knew, in his own life, the transformation that had been wrought
by the power of the gospel of Christ - Compare Rom. 7 with 1 Tim. 1:15; Gal. 2:20; Phil.
3:1-14
2. We are living in a power conscious world:
a. Children become aware of this feeling in the world before they
have learned how to talk.
b. Science has become afraid of its own accomplishments.
c. But what gives deep concern is the fact that immorality is on a
steady increase - 2 Tim. 3:1-9; Luke 17:26-29

C. FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION

1. It brings to penitent sinners a new hope:
a. Think of the lame man who had never before walked - Acts 3:1-11
b. Think of blind Bartimaeus and the joy that must have come to him
when the Lord gave him his eyesight - Mark 10:46-52
c. Or think of the feeling a pleading mother had when the Lord
promised deliverance for her daughter - Matt. 15:28
2. It gives the believer a change of heart, as nothing else can do:
a. The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28
b. The woman caught in the act of adultery - John 8:1-11
c. The penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
3. The believer becomes a new creature:
a. That means a change of attitude - Luke 19:8; Acts 19:19
b. It transforms our sinful nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-11; 2 Cor. 5:17
 c. Christ lives in the believer through faith - Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20
4. This transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ uses:
a. The Holy Scriptures to bring about a change in the lives of the
believers - Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:23; Jas. 1:18
b. The blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all our sins - 1
Pet. 1:18, 19; Heb. 9:22, 23; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5
c. The mighty operation of the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; John 3:5, 6; 2
Cor. 3:17, 18
d. Is the gospel of Jesus Christ the power of God in my life? Or is it
a stumbling block to those who observe me?
THE FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL
ROMANS 1:16

A. BIBLE STUDENTS HAVE, AT TIMES, BEEN PUZZLED AS TO WHY THE

NEW JERUSALEM IS FOUR SQUARE
1. Is there a hidden meaning in this plan by God?
2. Is it symbolical of the four square gospel of Jesus Christ? Rev. 21:16
3. The object of this sermon is to show that the gospel of Christ is four
square:
a. The height, the breadth, the length, and depth are the
measurements of God's love - Eph. 3:17, 18; Rom. 11:33
b. These dimensions are our assurance of the inexhaustible love of
God; nothing can come between us and God's love. Paul dramatizes this love in his
Epistle to the Romans. It will do us great good to meditate upon Rom. 8:31-39

B. THE FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL IS THE BURDEN OF OUR MESSAGE

TODAY
1. Sinners are saved by grace:
a. That is the divine reason for saving us - unmerited, undeserved,
and unworthy of God's mercy - Eph. 2:7, 8
b. This grace became operative when sin began - in the Garden of
Eden - Tit. 2:11; Rom. 5:12-19
EXAMPLES -
(1) Noah and his family were saved by grace - Gen. 6:8
(2) Lot and his children were saved by grace - Gen. 19:14-18
(3) Ancient Israel was saved from bondage by the grace of God
- Ex. 33:12, 16; Jer. 31:2; Zech. 4:7
2. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ: Rom. 5:9; Heb.
9:14, 22, 23
a. That is the price for our salvation - 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
b. It is God's cleansing power - Isa. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7, 9; Rev. 1:5
3. Saved by faith in Jesus Christ: Rom. 5:1; Acts 16:31
a. Faith based upon the Word of God - Rom. 10:14-17
b. Faith that is active produces loving obedience to the holy will of
God - Jas. 2:24-26; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 1:5; Phil. 2:12, 13
4. Saved by works - the fruit of living faith in God's Word: Jas. 2:24-28
 a. This square has been a stumbling block to many misinformed
people.
b. They have the idea that works are of a carnal nature and are
excluded from the plan of salvation.
c. But they overlook the fact that the Bible speaks of two kinds of
works -
(1) The works of the flesh - Gal. 5:19-21. These works are,
indeed, excluded from the kingdom of God - Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:11
(2) But the works that are the fruit of the indwelling Spirit of
God are the evidence of our salvation; they are not excluded.
d. Let us, briefly, note what the Bible says about these works -
(1) If people are the children of the kingdom of God they will
show it by their works - John 8:39; Matt. 7:16-19
(2) Faith without works is dead - Jas. 2:17, 20, 26
(3) Abraham was justified by works - Jas. 2:21; Gen. 22:12
(4) By works faith is made perfect - Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:22; Rom.
2:13, 14
(5) Our Lord pronounces blessings upon the deeds of those
who are invited to enter the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 25:31-46
e. When we view the four square gospel in the light of these facts, we
can see light in comparing it to the city of God which lieth four square.
f. It emphasizes the fact that with God no truth is minor; they all are
the same.
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL
OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

A. "GO, STAND AND SPEAK IN THE TEMPLE TO THE PEOPLE ALL THE
WORDS OF THIS LIFE" - Acts 5:20
1. Our commission:
a. "Go, stand and speak . . . all the words of this life - Matt. 28:18-20;
Acts 5:20
b. This commission rests on the highest authority in heaven and in
earth.
c. No human attempt to prevent us from carrying this gospel into all
the world, to every creature, can succeed - Acts 4:19; 5:29
d. Such attempts have been made in the past and will be made before
probation closes -
(1) We think of the dark ages when the two messengers had to
speak in sackcloth - Rev. 11:3-11
(2) We know the prediction of God's prophet of what the
enemy of the gospel will attempt to do against God's messengers - Matt. 10:17-22; Rev.
12:12, 17
e. The enemy of the gospel knows, also, that the blood of the martyrs
of Christ is the seed of the gospel that spreads beyond the control of the enemy - Acts
8:1-14
 2. All these experiences confirm the fact that no weapon formed against the
cause of truth will ever succeed: Isa. 54:17

B. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS

CHRIST
1. We think of the power provided by God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus
Christ:
a. Attempts have been made in the past to stop the publishing of the
good news - Acts 5:17, 18; 12:1-19; 16:23, 24
b. One might as well attempt to stop the heartbeat of God as to stop
the preaching of the gospel of Christ - 2 Cor. 13:8
c. This fact ought to embolden God's messengers to preach with
renewed vigor.
2. The great dynamics of the gospel:
a. It is the Word of Life
(1) A new life - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
(2) A divine life - 2 Pet. 1:3-6
(3) A transformed life - 2 Cor. 3:18
b. The Word of power
(1) Cleansing power - Isa. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9
(2) Transforming power - 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:29
(3) Keeping power - 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 Tim. 6:20
c. The operation of the Holy Spirit -
(1) "by my Spirit, saith the Lord" - Zech. 4:6, 7
(2) We are quickened by the Spirit unto a new life - 1 Pet.
3:18; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13
(3) We are transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost - Rom.
12:2; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18

C. EFFECTS OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF

JESUS CHRIST
1. It moves swiftly and with irresistibility to do its redeeming work:
a. It grows as it gets into the hearts of men - Acts 12:24
b. Persecution helps it to spread more rapidly - Acts 6:7; 8:1-9; 12:24
c. "So mightily grew the Word of God and it prevailed" - Acts 19:20
2. Its great objective:
a. To bring good tidings to all men - Luke 2:14; Matt. 28:18-20
b. That does not mean that all who hear it will accept it - Matt. 24:14
c. The gospel offers Jesus Christ, heaven's choicest gift, as man's
only hope of salvation - Acts 3:26; 4:12
3. Its fruitage:
a. Influences and transforms lives. To this we can witness.
b. It readies a people for translation and the kingdom of glory.
BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL
GALATIANS 1:6-8
A. NEVER BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST HAS
THERE BEEN GREATER DANGER TO THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST TO BE
MISLED AS THERE IS TODAY
1. The very atmosphere seems to be filled with 'lo here and lo there'
announcements by opposing religionists:
2. Our Lord and Paul, both, warn us against what we see and hear today:
Matt. 24:23; Acts 20:28-34

B. OUR TEXT STATES PLAINLY THAT THERE WILL BE A COUNTERFEIT

GOSPEL
1. Preached by Satan's agents: 2 Cor. 11:13-15
2. Supported by miracles and lying wonders:
2 Thess. 2:9-11; Rev. 13:13, 14
3. This gospel attracts untold numbers of misguided souls to its lying
message: Matt. 24:24; Rev. 13:8; Matt. 7:13, 14
4. A counterfeit gospel offers to the world:
a. A counterfeit Christ - Matt. 24:24
b. A counterfeit sacrifice - 1 Cor. 10:15-18
c. Counterfeit rituals - 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Mark 7:7-13
d. A false hope - 2 Pet. 2:10-22; Luke 13:25-29; Matt. 7:21-26
5. Objective of this gospel:
a. To lead men to disregard and disobey God's law - 1 John 2:4-7;
Isa. 30:8, 9
b. To use the influence and means of the deceived against God and
His Word.
c. To lead large numbers to final doom and destruction - Matt. 7:13,
14
d. This deception is universal - Rev. 12:9
e. Satan works with renewed effort to do the dirty work because he
knows that he has very little time left to finish his work - Rev. 12:12

C. HOW WE MAY PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST THIS COUNTERFEIT

GOSPEL
1. Know the Word of God; that is as fundamental as life itself; ignorance is
blindness, and blindness exposes us to anything: Matt. 22:29; Isa. 29:13
2. Apply God's rule to all claims made in the name of religion - "To the law
and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no
light in them." Isa. 8:20
a. God's law is a revelation of God's eternal will, binding upon all
morally responsible persons - Ex. 20:3-17; Eccl. 12:13, 14
b. By it is the knowledge of sin - Rom. 3:20; 7:7; 1 John 3:4
c. Christ's attitude toward that law was plainly foretold in prophecy;
and plainly stated when He was in this world - Isa. 42:19-21; Ps. 40:8; Matt. 5:17-20;
Luke 16:17; Matt. 22:34-38
d. John states how we know whether the claims to truth made by
anyone are true - 1 John 2:4-7; Rev. 14:12; 22:14
 3. Avoid being carried away:
a. By eye appeal - Rev. 13:9-11; 17:1, 2; 2 Thess. 2:9-11
b. Easy entrance - This is important because the nominal churches
have lowered their standards of church membership and many are ready to make it easy
for people to join.
c. Large numbers - here is another catch for the uninformed, but heed
the words of Christ - Matt. 7:13, 14; 21-26; Luke 12:32; Rev. 13:3
d. Enjoyment of the things the world has to offer, without paying any
attention to the warning of the world against worldliness - 1 John 2:15, 16
SANCTIFICATION
1 THESSALONIANS 5:23

A. "AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY"

1. There is, perhaps, no other Bible subject about which there is known less
than the subject of sanctification:
a. Some teach that sanctification is the second work of grace and that
it is instantaneous.
b. Others teach that sanctification begins at conversion and is the
work of a life time.
2. Does the Bible have a clear and easily understood answer to the question
of sanctification? We believe that it does, and that by comparing scriptures on this
subject, sanctification is very clear and wonderful:

B. TO GET AT THE VERY ROOT OF THE DOCTRINE ON SANCTIFICATION,

LET US CONSIDER A NUMBER OF RELATED TRUTHS ON THIS SUBJECT
1. Nature of sanctification:
a. The word "sanctification" signifies -
(1) Separation or setting apart from that which is common to
that which is holy.
(2) It is a cleansing process, being made clean from the
defilement of sin.
(3) It is a dedication to a cause or a duty we have accepted -
John 17:17
(4) It is a consecration or dedication of our life to God.
b. Sanctification is God's means to restore the image of God in our
life - Rom. 8:28, 29; 2 Cor. 3:18
2. Means of sanctification:
a. We are set apart or separated by the Word of truth - John 17:17;
Heb. 4:12
b. We are cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ -
(1) It cleanses us from all sin and uncleanness - Heb. 13:12; 1
John 1:7
(2) It is God's fountain against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1;
Rev. 1:5
This is the beginning of Bible sanctification, giving the believer a
new standing before God.
 3. Nature of sanctification:
a. Sanctification is, in its nature, progressive and not, as some claim,
instantaneous -
(1) There is no such thing as instantaneous manhood.
(2) There is no such thing as instantaneous daylight, dawn,
morning, noon, and evening.
(3) A building is not erected in an instant.
b. Sanctification is progressive because -
(1) Man's knowledge is progressive - Prov. 4:18; 1 Cor. 13:11,
12
(2) Man's comprehension of truth is limited - John 16:12
(3) Sanctification deals with man's character, at least in part;
character cannot be developed overnight; it is the work of a lifetime.
c. Sanctification is visible, "Let your light so shine that men may see
your good works" - Matt. 5:16
d. Sanctification affects -
(1) The mind
(2) The body
(3) The soul - 1 Thess. 5:23

C. IMPORTANCE OF SANCTIFICATION
1. Without it no man shall see the Lord:
a. The stain of sin will have to be removed before we can see God.
b. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" - Matt. 5:8;
Heb. 12:14
2. Sanctification is in practice:
a. Loving obedience to God's Word - 1 Pet. 1:22
b. To claim sanctification and yet live in disobedience to the Word of
God is a denial of the truth - 1 John 2:4-7
c. A hostile attitude toward God's law is evidence of the falsity of the
claim to sanctification - Rom. 8:6, 7; Isa. 30:8, 9
3. Pattern of sanctification:
a. Christ - Heb. 12:1-3
b. By beholding Him we become changed - 2 Cor. 3:18
BIBLE SANCTIFICATION
PART I
HEBREWS 12:14

A. "FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN, AND HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH

NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD." Heb. 12:14
1. Different views on sanctification:
a. Some think that sanctification is instantaneous and complete the
moment it takes place.
b. Others believe that sanctification is the work of a lifetime and that
it is progressive.
2. We know that sanctification is important in our relationship with the Lord:
 a. "Follow holiness"
b. "Be ye holy for I am holy"
c. "Without which no man shall see the Lord"
3. Sanctification is included in the will of God:
a. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification" - 1 Thess.
4:3, 7
b. "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" -
1 Thess. 4:7

B. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION

1. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit upon the character of those
who are justified:
a. We are justified in order that we might be sanctified; and we are
b. Sanctified in order that we may be glorified - Rom. 8:30
2. Justification comes instantly:
a. Think of Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-9
b. The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28
c. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
3. Sanctification is the work of a lifetime:
a. Continue in holiness - 1 Tim. 2:15
b. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord - 2 Pet. 3:18
c. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God - 2 Cor. 7:1
d. The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more
unto the perfect day - Prov. 4:18

C. PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION
1. God is the sanctifier:
a. "To them that are sanctified by God" - Jude 1
b. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" - 1 Thess. 5:23
2. Through Jesus Christ our Lord:
a. Christ is made unto us sanctification - 1 Cor. 1:30
b. "That we might be partakers of His holiness" - Heb. 12:10
c. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with His
own blood" - Heb. 13:12
3. By the operation of the Holy Spirit:
a. "Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" - Rom. 15:16
b. "Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of God" - 1 Cor. 6:11
4. Our part in the work of sanctification:
a. Constant surrender - Ps. 40:8
b. Faith - Heb. 11:6
5. Must be done before mercy ends: Rev. 22:11
6. God will accomplish it: Isa. 35:8; Eph. 5:25, 26; Rev. 14:5
BIBLE SANCTIFICATION
PART II
1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-12
A. SANCTIFICATION
1. To set apart for holy use: The seventh day Sabbath was set apart for holy
use - Gen. 2:2, 3
2. To cleanse from sin: Eph. 5:24, 25; Heb. 13:12; we are cleansed by the
Word, through the blood of Christ and the operation of the Holy Spirit.

B. WORK OF SANCTIFICATION
1. It follows justification: Rom. 8:30
2. It is very thorough: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" - 1
Thess. 5:23
3. It includes your spirit, body, and the soul: Rom. 6:16; 12:1-3; 1 Thess.
5:23
4. Sanctification is threefold:
a. Cleansing of our conscience from dead works - Heb. 9:14; 10:22
b. Separation from evil habits and sinful practices - 2 Cor. 6:14-17;
7:1-3
c. Things to put off the old man - Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9
d. Put off these -
(1) Anger
(2) Wrath
(3) Malice
(4) Blasphemy
(5) Filthy communication
e. Putting on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him that created him - Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24; Tit. 3:5
f. Dedicating our life to a walk with God and to witnessing for the
truth. These are, according to the Bible, the chief ends of Bible sanctification.
g. That is why it is the work of a lifetime.

C. IMPLEMENTS OF SANCTIFICATION
1. The Word of God; the object of the plan of redemption is:
a. To remove sin out of the life of man, which is a barrier to God and
His blessings - Isa. 55:1-6
b. To restore the image of God that has been marred by sin - Jer.
18:1-6; Rom. 8:29
c. God uses the Word of God to accomplish these objectives - Jas.
1:18; 1 Pet. 1:22, 23; Heb. 4:12
2. The blood of Jesus Christ:
a. We all have sinned and for that reason have become defiled - Isa.
64:6; Rom. 3:9-19
b. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from this defilement - 1
Pet. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9; Heb. 9:22, 23
c. Sin is the transgression of God's law; God's law is an expression of
His character against which we have offended. It took the blood of Christ to atone for
our transgression - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:11
3. The Holy Spirit:
 a. Without the creative energy of the third person of the Holy Spirit
our carnal nature would be unaffected.
b. It is the Holy Spirit that applies the Word of God, uses its power to
change our way of life - Zech. 4:6; John 6:63; Rom. 15:16; 2 Thess. 2:13

D. EFFECTS OF BIBLE SANCTIFICATION

1. Negatively: Not pharisaical - Luke 18:10-12; neither rebellious against
God's law, a revelation of God's will.
2. Positively: In harmony with God's will - 2 Tim. 2:21; Rev. 22:14
GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS
PSALMS 36:6, 7

A. MOUNTAINS PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN THE HISTORY OF GOD'S

ANCIENT COVENANT PEOPLE
1. Israel spent considerable time at the foot of Mount Sinai:
a. There they entered into a covenant relation with God - Ex. 19:3-16;
24:1-3; Gal. 4:21-24
b. Moses received laws and statutes for Israel.
2. Moses and Aaron died upon mountains:
3. Israel had so many experiences connected with mountains that the
Psalmist became inspired by their awe inspiring majesty:

B. OUR TEXT COMPARES GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH GREAT

MOUNTAINS
1. Nature of great mountains:
a. They are, in comparison with other things in nature, unchangeable.
"They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but
abideth forever" - Ps. 125:1
b. They can be seen from a great distance. "Then on the third day
Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off" - Gen. 22:4
c. They give a broad view of their surrounding - Deut. 34:1; Matt. 4:8
2. Nature of God's righteousness:
a. It is unchangeable. "Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and
forever." - Heb. 13:8. "For I am the Lord, I change not" - Mal. 3:6
b. "With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" - Jas.
1:17; This truth alone should fill our hearts with awe inspiring confidence. It ought to
increase our faith in God's unchangeable promises.
c. It is easy to see -
(1) In His own works - Rom. 1:20; Ps. 19:1-6
(2) In the lives of His children - John 14:9; Matt. 5:16; 1 Pet.
2:9-11
(3) In His law - Ps. 119:172
(4) In His only begotten Son - John 14:9; Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:9
d. It gives a clear view of our world situation and of things to come -
(1) Through the prophetic word - 2 Pet. 1:19, 20
(2) Through the Spirit of Prophecy - 1 Sam. 9:9
 (3) Through the Holy Spirit - John 16:12, 13; 1 Cor. 2:9-11, 14

C. BLESSING OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. It teaches us to lift up our eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh our
help: Ps. 121:1, 2
2. The prophetic light allows us to recognize the time we live in: Rom.
13:11-14
3. It gives us a good view of the world to come - a new heaven and a new
earth: 2 Pet. 3:1-13; Isa. 65:17-20
4. All this adds up to confidence in God and His unchangeable
righteousness: Ps. 36:6, 7
5. A clear vision, based upon God's Word of righteousness:
a. Makes us bold -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Elisha - 2 Ki. 6:16, 17
(2) David - 1 Sam. 17:45
(3) Stephen - Acts 7:56
b. It gives us peace of mind - Isa. 26:3
c. And assurance forever - Ps. 121:2
CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
1 CORINTHIANS 1:30

A. IMPORTANCE OF THIS SUBJECT

1. We are told in the book "Gospel Worker" page 301, that our churches are
dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith in Christ:
2. The message of the Righteousness of Christ is to sound from one end of
the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord:
3. We are told that this is the glory, which will close the work of the third
angel - "Testimonies for the Church" Volume 6, page 19:

B. WHAT THE RECEIVING OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST BY

FAITH WILL DO FOR THE BELIEVER
1. It will change his standing before God:
a. That is a wonderful experience - 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33
b. God will see us, not in our own unworthiness, but as we have been
clothed with the garment of salvation - Isa. 6:10; Rev. 19:7
2. It will transform our nature; we will be partakers of the divine nature: 2
Cor. 3:17, 18; 2 Pet. 1:2-9
a. We become, in God's sight, sons and daughters through the
adoption in the Beloved - John 1:12; 1 John 3:1-3; Eph. 1:3-6
b. We are initiated into the family of God our Father - Eph. 1:9-11;
3:14, 15
3. It will reflect the image and likeness of the Son of God, who Himself is
the reflection of His heavenly Father:
a. The likeness of Christ is the great objective of the gospel of Christ
- Rom. 8:29
 b. He Himself is the image or likeness of God the Father - Col. 2:9;
Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4
c. What a wonderful experience awaits the believers in Christ Jesus!
To miss this heavenly experience would be, saying the least, catastrophic.
4. This righteousness has been claimed by all the children of God in all ages:
a. David testifies of this righteousness - Ps. 32:1-4
b. Joshua was clothed with this righteousness - Zech. 3:1-6
c. Isaiah rejoices over it - Isa. 61:10
5. It is the secret of the safety of God's children:
a. The story of Joseph, of Moses, of Daniel and a host of other
worthies is the same; Paul speaks of these believers - Heb. 11
b. Noah, Daniel, and Job are given as three representatives of this
righteousness - Ezek. 14:14, 20

C. HOW WE OBTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. Where we have failed in the past:
a. We have attempted to earn this righteousness - Rom. 10:3
b. But we soon learn, to our dismay, that we have failed in our own
attempts - Study Rom. 7; 3; 20
2. Faith, simple, child-like faith, is the channel through which we obtain the
righteousness of Christ:
a. That is the way the thief on the cross got it - Luke 23:42-44
b. That is the way the woman of Samaria got it - John 4:1-34
c. That is the way Mary Magdalene got it.
d. Yes, that is the way Zacchaeus obtained it - Luke 19:1-9
3. That means that we simply have to take God's offer by faith, accepting the
righteousness of Christ as God's free gift to us--unworthy and sinful men:
EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
MATTHEW 5:20, 21

A. "EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED THE

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, YE SHALL IN NO CASE
ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."
1. It is important to know that our Lord's sermon on the mount:
a. Is the Christian code of spiritual law - Matt. 5:1-48
b. It draws a clear distinction between the letter and the spirit of the
law - 2 Cor. 3:6-18; Rom. 7:14
2. The righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees was unacceptable to
God:
a. It left the heart unchanged - Matt. 23:25-28
b. It was their own righteousness, which is before God as filthy rags -
Isa. 64:6; Rom. 10:3

B. EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
1. The gospel of Jesus Christ of this righteousness:
a. Christ is that righteousness -
 (1) "The Lord our righteousness" - Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30, 31
(2) We obtain this righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ -
Rom. 3:22
b. It is the free gift of God as truly as the grace of God - Rom. 5:18
2. God's method of bestowal of this heavenly gift:
a. It is imputed - we are credited with the life of the Son of God - 2
Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6
b. It is implanted by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
c. The implantation of God's righteousness takes place when He
writes His law into our hearts - Heb. 10:15, 16
d. Ezekiel describes the implantation of the law of God into the hearts
of the believers - Ezek. 36:26-28

C. FUNCTION OF THE EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS

1. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees:
a. Is unacceptable to God because it makes no provision for sin -- it
cannot.
b. It leaves man a sinner, and therefore under condemnation - Rom.
3:9-18
c. It rejects the righteousness acceptable in God's sight.
2. Evangelical righteousness on the other hand:
a. Has no confidence in the flesh - Phil. 3:3
b. This fact has been learned by bitter experience - Rom. 7:9-26
c. Acts in the name of Jesus Christ only - Gal. 2:20
3. Effect of Evangelical righteousness:
a. Brings about the transformation of our sinful nature - John 3:3-9; 2
Cor. 3:18
b. Implants God's law into our heart - Ezek. 36:26-28; Heb. 10:15, 16
c. Embraces the whole will of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17
4. Beware of a counterfeit righteousness:
a. The theory of holiness without obedience - 1 John 2:4-7; Isa. 30:8,
9
b. There will be bitter disillusionment in the last days - Matt. 7:21-26;
Luke 13:22-28
5. The difference between the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and
Evangelical righteousness:
a. Their righteousness was Christless - that means hopeless.
b. The righteousness of the gospel is centered in Christ, and that
righteousness is accepted with God - Isa. 42:21
GRACE, MARVELOUS GRACE
EPHESIANS 2:7, 8

A. WHAT IS GRACE?
1. Undeserved, unmerited favor: Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 11:5, 6
2. The Bible speaks of the "manifold grace of God": 1 Pet. 4:10
B. DISPENSATION OF GRACE
1. Theory of some Christian people:
a. That the dispensation of grace began with the resurrection of
Christ.
b. That the Jews lived under the dispensation of law, and not under
grace.
2. Some Bible facts about the dispensation of grace:
a. Began with the fall of man; it began when sin had separated our
first parents from God and their home -
(1) "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
unto all men." - Tit. 2:11
(2) Compare 1 Pet. 1:20 with Rev. 13:8
b. The grace of God has been the hope of men in all ages -
(1) Noah was saved from the waters of the flood by grace
alone - Gen. 6:8
(2) Lot was saved by grace alone - Gen. 19:18
(3) Israel was saved by grace - Ex. 33:12, 16; Jer. 31:2
3. The manifold grace of God:
a. The grace of pardon -
EXAMPLES -
(1) The woman caught in the act of adultery - John 8:11
(2) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
(3) Mary Magdalene out of whom Christ cast out seven devils -
Mark 16:9; Luke 7:47
(4) Some wonderful promises - Isa. 1:19, 20; 55:7
b. The grace of deliverance -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Our Lord's statement to the Jews - John 8:36
(2) Compare Rom. 5:20 with chapter 6; 15:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:15
(3) Christ has promised to set the prisoners free - Isa. 61:1-3
4. The grace of obedience: The grace of deliverance comes from the same
manifold grace of God as the grace of pardon and the grace of deliverance - Phil. 2:12,
13; 4:13; Eph. 3:20; 2 Pet. 1:2-7

C. GRACE IS THE FREE GIFT OF GOD, YET, IT IS, AS ALL GIFTS OF GOD
ARE, CONDITIONAL
1. Mistaken theory:
a. That grace is a release from a moral obligation.
b. That grace lessens the seriousness of sin.
2. But the facts are different:
a. We are warned not to use the grace of God in vain - 2 Cor. 6:1;
Heb. 12:15; Jude 4
b. One can fall from grace and be lost - Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:29
ILLUSTRATIONS
(1) The nature of grace is well illustrated by our Lord in John
15:1-11. Our remaining in grace is conditioned upon our abiding in Christ.
 (2) Ezek. 18:24 confirms the fact that we are free moral agents;
we may use or abuse our privileges under grace.
3. Grace brings very serious obligations to the beneficiary of grace:
a. It forbids sin - Rom. 6:1-3, 14; 1 John 3:7-9
b. "Go, and sin no more" - John 8:11
c. "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" - John 5:14
4. Light from heaven makes us doubly responsible to God and to our fellow
men:
a. Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-28
b. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin"
- Jas. 4:17
5. The manifold grace of God provides all that pertains unto salvation and
godliness to all who let it reign in their hearts:
GRACE TRIUMPHANT OVER SIN
ROMANS 5:17, 21

A. MAN IN BONDAGE OF SIN AND DEATH

1. The reign of sin:
a. "Sin hath reigned unto death" - Rom. 5:21
b. "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever
committeth sin is the servant of sin." - John 8:34
c. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 3:23;
Gal. 3:22
EXAMPLES -
(1) Paul's personal admission - Rom. 7:14
(2) Ahab a slave of sin - 1 Ki. 21:20-23
2. The reign of death:
a. The divine sentence over the sinner - Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:19; Rom.
5:12
b. Death reigns over all men because all have sinned - Rom. 5:12, 21;
Heb. 9:27; that is one appointment which cannot be set aside.
3. Man is unable to free himself from either sin or death:
a. Sin has taken full control of the heart of man and defiled it
completely - Jer. 13:23
EXAMPLES -
(1) The lost coin
(2) The lost sheep
(3) The prodigal son - Luke 15:4-7, 8, 9, 11-34
b. Evil habits have made a helpless slave out of him; Paul's
commentary - Rom. 7

B. GRACE TRIUMPHANT
1. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."
a. Here is the anchor of the soul, "That as sin hath reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord." - Rom. 5:21
 b. The reign of grace is based upon the righteousness of Christ - 1
Cor. 1:30
2. Righteousness is the foundation of the kingdom of grace:
a. Doing what is right is the basis of salvation; to do otherwise is
misusing the grace of God - Rom. 6:14
b. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." 1 John 3:7
3. It is, however, the righteousness of Christ that counts:
a. All human righteousness is like filthy rags before God - Isa. 64:6
b. Only the righteousness of the Son of God is acceptable to God -
Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30

C. GRACE TRIUMPHANT OVER SIN

1. This is the Magna Carta of the saints:
a. No believer in Christ needs to be in the bondage of sin - Rom.
6:16, 17
b. Grace triumphs over the reign of sin -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Rahab the harlot in Jericho is a typical example of the
triumph of grace - Ps. 87:4
(2) The thief on the cross is still another trophy of grace - Luke
23:42-44
(3) Mary Magdalene is another example of the reign of grace -
Mark 16:9
2. The fruit of grace:
a. It melts away the guilt of sin - Isa. 1:17-19
b. It dissolves difficulties - Zech. 4:7; Rom. 9:8
c. Delivers from the power of sin - Acts 26:18
d. Transforms character - 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2; the church of God
is full of transformed lives.
e. It makes us fellow heirs with Christ. That is a wonderful blessing,
the gift of God through grace - 2 Pet. 1:2-4
f. What has this grace done in my life and in yours?
g. Thank God that where sin reigned, grace lives now in the hearts of
all who come to God by Jesus Christ our Lord.
STATE OF GRACE
2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-10

A. A WIDELY BELIEVED THEORY ABOUT THE STATE OF GRACE

1. "Once in grace, always in grace":
2. "Once saved, always saved":
3. "If you are a child of God, you can never be anything else":
4. The assumption is that when we accept Christ as our personal Saviour we
become fixed, cannot be lost:
 a. This theory claims that once you are a child of God, you will ever
be a child of God. You may sin and God may have to punish you for your sin, but that
will not change your relationship to God.
b. Your being a child of God gives you eternal security.

B. THE STATE OF GRACE IN THE LIGHT OF THE TEACHING OF THE

BIBLE
1. The state of grace is, like all God's promises, conditional:
a. It recognizes that we were created free moral agents, persons of a
free choice - Rev. 22:17; John 7:17
b. Our state of grace is dependent upon our attitude toward God, His
Word, and our life.
2. That the state of grace is conditional is clearly taught by our Lord. In John
15:1-11 the Lord lays down four specific conditions to our relationship to himself:
a. "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." - John
15:6
b. "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you" - John 15:5, 6
c. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" - verse
10
d. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" - verse
14
It must be noted that the four conditions laid down by the Son of God
belong to God's children, and not to the world.
3. The Lord gives us some added light on the state of grace in Ezek. 18:
Time and space will not permit to give a complete analysis of this wonderful chapter. Let
us note, briefly, four facts concerning the state of grace, as stated in that chapter:
a. "The soul that sinneth shall die" - Ezek. 18:4
b. "But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right . . . he
shall surely live, saith the Lord" - Ezek. 18:5-9
c. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the
iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son" verse 20
d. "When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and
committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man
doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in
his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in the sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he
die." Ezek. 18:24

C. A PRAYERFUL STUDY OF THE ABOVE SCRIPTURES SHOWS

CONCLUSIVELY
1. That the theory - "Once in grace, always in grace; once saved, always
saved" is wholly untrue:
a. We are warned against the misuse of grace - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; 2 Pet.
1:10; Matt. 7:21-26; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-28
 b. The possibility of falling from grace is recognized in the Scriptures
- Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-28; 2 Pet. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:12; Rev. 2:1-6
EXAMPLES -
(1) Many of our Lord's early disciples forsook the Lord, and
never returned to Him anymore; they left the state of grace - John 6:60-66
(2) Judas left the state of grace and perished in disgrace - Matt.
27:1-6
2. Lucifer and his fellow rebels were sons of God before they rebelled
against God. They will, in the end, perish in hell fire - Ezek. 28:12-18
THE THRONE OF GRACE
HEBREWS 4:16

A. "LET US COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY

OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED"
1. When you think of a throne you realize that where there is a throne, there
is a kingdom:
a. We think of the subjects of the kingdom of grace.
b. All who accept Christ as their king acknowledge that He reigns in
their hearts.
2. This kingdom was set up the moment when sin entered the experience of
the human family:
a. Adam and Eve, and all their posterity, met with God at the throne
of grace - Tit. 2:11; Gen. 6:8; 19:19; Ex. 33:12, 16
b. Sin is the cause for the need of grace; and God's love is Heaven's
provision - 2 Cor. 5:21

B. LET US NOTE TWO GREAT TRUTHS BASED UPON OUR OPENING TEXT
1. "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace":
a. That teaches us the prayer habit -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Daniel - Dan. 6:10
(2) Peter - Acts 9:1-28
(3) David - Ps. 55:17
b. This gracious arrangement leaves us no excuse for neglecting the
prayer life - Jas. 4:1-3
2. Boldly:
a. That means for us to come to the throne of grace without any
hesitation or doubt.
b. We have an advocate with the Father, who knows all our needs,
understands our weaknesses, and is ready to help us - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1
c. He ever liveth and maketh intercession for the saints - Heb. 7:25,
26
d. Our boldness receives its strength from the fact that we are
following God's own arrangement.
e. We have, therefore, full authorization to come frequently to the
throne of grace.
 f. That makes our text the most glorious invitation to poor sinners as
we all are.

C. THE GREAT ENDS TO BE KEPT IN VIEW IN COMING TO THE THRONE

OF GRACE
1. To obtain mercy:
a. Mercy to obtain pardon of our guilt; that is the reason for the
throne of grace.
b. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us" - 1 John 1:7-9
EXAMPLES -
(1) The tax collector - Luke 18:13
(2) Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-9
(3) Mary Magdalene - Luke 7:44
(4) The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-29
c. We stand in need, not only of the mercy of forgiveness, but also
the mercy of enabling grace to live a godly life.
2. To find grace:
a. Grace to love others, including our enemies
b. Grace to forgive those who may trespass against us
c. Grace to walk humbly with our God - Mi. 6:8
d. Grace to labor for sinners
e. Grace to be an overcomer
f. Grace to endure unto the end - 2 Cor. 12:10; 1 Pet. 3:14; Matt.
24:13
3. In time of need:
a. In the hour of temptation - Heb. 11:37; Gen. 39:7-13
b. In the hour of great sorrow
c. In the time of sickness and death
4. What a tragedy it would be if we neglected coming to the throne of grace!
a. Our heavenly father is there to meet us -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Jacobs's dream - Gen. 28:12-14
(2) The father of the prodigal son - Luke 15:20
b. Our blessed Saviour is there - Matt. 28:20
c. The Holy Spirit is there - Rom. 8:26
d. Will you be there?

THE HEART

A. "KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE; FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE
ISSUES OF LIFE." - Prov. 4:23
1. The heart the center of life:
a. The physical heart is a large group of muscles placed between the
two lungs and acting as the fountain of life.
 b. It is the central organ of the body, and the soundness and health of
man depend upon it, as indicated in our text.
2. But the Bible locates in the heart the center of our personal being. To the
Hebrew thinker the heart is the invisible center of:
a. Man's thoughts - "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" - Prov.
23:7
b. His emotions - Acts 21:13; Ps. 84:2; Song of Solomon 4:12-16;
Matt. 15:19, 20

B. THE KEEPING OF THE HEART

1. God guards very carefully the heart He has put in our body:
a. He has put the strongest bones all around it so that, though other
parts of the body may easily be hurt, the heart is safe.
b. The reason is most obvious; if the heart cannot function, the body
cannot live.
2. Four specific reasons for guarding the heart, as suggested in the opening
text:
a. It is the seat of our thoughts which are basic to our actions; if the
fountain is polluted, our life is polluted also - Jas. 3:11-14; Matt. 15:19, 20
b. The heart has its enemies. Satan is chief of them. If he gets into
the heart, man becomes a slave to his will - Rom. 6:16; 2 Tim. 2:26
c. This is a very important fact to keep in mind as we consider this
important subject, because all the issues of life come out of the heart, which is the
fountain of life.
d. Experience shows that the heart is very susceptible to the outward
world - 1 John 2:15, 16
EXAMPLES -
(1) The lust of the flesh: David's heart fell for this sin - 2 Sam.
11:2, 3; Samson's life was ruined by this sin - Judg. 16
(2) The lust of the eye: Achan became a victim to this power
of lust, and he brought destruction upon himself and defeat to the army of Israel - Josh.
7:1, 20; Eve, too, fell for this sin, and she brought sorrow and death to the human race -
Gen. 3:6
(3) The pride of life: Nebuchadnezzar learned of the power of
this tool of the devil - Dan. 4:30; Lucifer sinned against his Maker when he became self-
centered - Ezek. 28:12-18
3. The heart is to be the abode of the Holy Spirit:
a. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Cor. 6:19
b. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. 3:16

C. THE KEEPER OF THE HEART

1. Man has shown that he is not able to keep his heart; he lost the controls to
Satan, who has taken possession of the natural heart:
a. That was the difficulty before the flood - Gen. 6:5; 8:21
 b. That is what God told Israel through Jeremiah - Jer. 13:23; 17:9
c. He knew this heart condition when he entered into a covenant
relation with Israel at Mount Sinai - Deut. 5:29
2. The Holy Spirit is the guardian of the heart: Isa. 59:19
a. He uses the Word - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9; Heb. 4:12; Ps. 119:9
b. Earnest prayer is another weapon against Satan - 1 Thess. 5:17; 1
Pet. 5:9
A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT

A. "A NEW HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU, AND A NEW SPIRIT WILL I
PUT WITHIN YOU: AND I WILL TAKE AWAY THE STONY HEART OUT OF
YOUR FLESH, AND I WILL GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH." - Ezek. 36:26
1. A new heart:
a. How wonderful the Bible proclaims the doctrine of "the new". It
speaks of -
(1) "a new covenant" - Jer. 31:31-36
(2) "a new creature" - 2 Cor. 5:17
(3) "a new heaven and a new earth" - Isa. 65:17
b. A new heart -
(1) The natural heart is not suitable for the kingdom of heaven.
(2) The Bible speaks of the natural heart as being "double" -
Jas. 12:2; "forward" - Prov. 11:20; "backsliding" - Prov. 14:14; "desperately wicked" -
Jer. 17:9; "rebellious" - Jer. 5:23; "whorish" - Ezek. 6:9; "spiteful" - Ezek. 25:15; "faint" -
Isa. 1:5; "hardness" - Matt. 19:8; "stony" - "deceitful" - as indicated in our text.
2. A new heart:
a. A new heart indicates the removal of the old heart; that, in turn,
implies a spiritual change in our lives.
b. It calls for a heart of flesh. A heart of flesh is in sharp contrast to a
stony heart. A heart of flesh has the following qualities -
(1) It is sensitive, impressive, easily influenced by the Word of
God and the Holy Spirit.
(2) A heart of flesh is moved now when the Word of God is
preached - Acts 2:37
c. A new heart is the gift of God which we all need - "A new heart
will I give you" -
(1) That shows that man can neither change his heart or give
himself a new heart.
(2) No amount of effort by a sinner can change his own nature;
it is the gift of God.

B. A NEW SPIRIT: "A NEW SPIRIT WILL I PUT WITHIN YOU"

1. Whatever God does, He does well; this is true also of a new Spirit which is
in contrast to the old spirit:
a. The old Spirit is spoken of in the Bible as -
(1) "Spirit of bondage" - Rom. 8:15
(2) "Foul Spirit" - Mark 9:25
 (3) "Spirit of the anti-Christ" - 1 John 4:3
(4) "Spirit of error" - 1 John 4:6
(5) "Spirit of jealousy" - Num. 5:14
b. The new Spirit is spoken of as -
(1) "Spirit of God" - Rom. 8:9
(2) "Spirit of grace" - Zech. 12:10
(3) "Spirit of Christ" - Rom. 8:9
(4) He is spoken of as "the spirit of glory" - 1 Pet. 4:14; "the
spirit of adoption" - Rom. 8:15; "Spirit of truth" - 1 John 4:6; "humble Spirit" - Isa.
57:15; "Spirit of knowledge" - Isa. 11:2
2. It is this new experience that brings true happiness into the life and
relationship of God's children:

C. A NEW LIFE
1. How many of us, dear brethren, have not become tired and discouraged
with the old life, full of defeat and dismay?
a. How often have we wished that our lives were different; when we
failed in our objective to keep our promises? Rom. 7:26
b. How often have we said to ourselves, "I have no confidence in the
flesh" - Phil. 3:3
2. How different is the new life:
a. It stands for new and sanctified affections - Col. 3:2
b. It ties us to a new association. Our experience has crucified the
world unto us, and us to the world - Gal. 6:14
c. It gives new and sanctified objectives to strive for. Paul states
some of these objectives very nobly -
(1) "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there
be any praise, think on these things." - Phil. 4:8
(2) "That I may know him, and the power of His resurrection . .
. that I may win Christ . . . and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, but
that which is through faith in Jesus Christ" - Phil. 3
THE NEW BIRTH
JOHN 3:1-10

A. SINGULAR BIBLE FACT

1. Great truths were spoken by our Lord to single persons:
a. Nicodemus - John 3:1-10
b. The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28
2. The conversation of our Lord with Nicodemus seems to indicate:
a. That the new birth was unknown to that learned man - "a Master in
Israel" - John 3:4
b. This proves Paul's statement, that the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit - 1 Cor. 2:14
3. These facts show, conclusively, that the new birth is not:
 a. A theory which one may learn from a book; Nicodemus was a
learned man.
b. It is not the performance of church rituals, good they may be.
c. It is not a church creed subscribed to by its members.

B. THE NEW BIRTH

1. It is the transformation of the carnal nature:
a. The old man of sin is crucified, that is what Paul understands the
process of the new birth is - Rom. 6:6-11
b. It is the putting off the old man of sin - Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9
2. The new birth involves a complete change of heart:
a. The old and stony heart must be removed before our nature can be
transformed.
b. "I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh" - Ezek. 11:19;
36:26
c. "Create in me a clean heart, O God" - Ps. 51:10
d. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" - Matt. 5:8
The more we understand the new birth the better we can see the necessity
of being born again.
3. The kingdom of God and the new birth are inseparable:
a. The nature of the kingdom of God remains a blank without the new
birth - 1 Cor. 2:14, 15; Rom. 8:1-7
b. The natural man is totally unfit for the kingdom of heaven -
(1) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" - John 3:6
(2) "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" - 1
Cor. 15:50
(3) "All flesh has corrupted its way" - Gen. 6:11
(4) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9

C. PURPOSE AND FRUITAGE OF THE NEW BIRTH

1. We have already indicated that the purpose of the new birth is:
a. A transformation of our carnal and sinful nature - "Ye must be
born again."
b. It simply means that God is making a new man out of what was a
fallen person - "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed
away; behold, all things have become new" - 2 Cor. 5:17
c. This transformation includes -
(1) A new attitude toward God, His Word, and also toward the
world - Gal. 6:14
(2) New language - Eph. 4:29
(3) New relationship - 2 Cor. 6:14-18
(4) New occupation - Rom. 6:16, 17
(5) New spirit - Rom. 8:14, 15, 16
d. The image of the Son of God is the ultimate objective of the new
birth - Rom. 8:29
 2. The fruit of the new birth is manifested:
a. By the fruit of the Holy Spirit revealing itself through us.
b. Paul enumerates the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-24
c. We will love the brethren - 1 John 2:10, 11
d. We will love God and keep His commandments - 1 John 2:4-7;
5:1-6
THE OLD AND THE NEW
2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-19

A. IN CHRIST JESUS
1. The expression "In Christ Jesus" occurs forty-two times in Paul's writings:
2. Let us note a few of these wonderful and deeply significant statements:
a. "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places IN CHRIST JESUS" - Eph. 1:3
b. "For we are his workmanship, created IN CHRIST JESUS" - Eph.
2:10
c. "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather
together in one all things IN CHRIST" - Eph. 1:10
3. Thus we see that all God's promises, all God's plans, and all our hopes
center in one person - IN CHRIST JESUS:
a. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." - Col.
2:9
b. For He is in truth "the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
ending" of God's plan for all ages to come - Rev. 1:8

B. THE OLD AND THE NEW

1. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature": 2 Cor. 5:17
a. This statement presupposes the removal of the old man, corrupted
by sin, and therefore wholly unfit for the kingdom of God - 1 Cor. 15:50; Eph. 4:22
b. It clearly indicates that the new birth is more than mere self-
improvement - John 3:3-6; Jer. 13:23; Nicodemus had to learn this truth.
2. "All things have become new":
a. Christ is new - Phil. 3:10
b. God is new - John 17:1-23
c. Man is new - 2 Cor. 5:14-19
d. Life is new - 1 Pet. 4:1-4
3. All this hinges on the phrase IN CHRIST:
a. In Him is the Father - John 17:21
b. In Him is life - John 1:4; 14:6
c. In and for Him are all things - Col. 1:17

C. HOW CAN THESE BE?

1. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
Zech. 4:6
a. These words set forth the part the Holy Spirit plays in the plan of
redemption.
 b. It is He through whom God works to energize us to become
subjects of His kingdom.
c. It is the Spirit of God that subdues the carnal nature in us.
d. It is He that sets up a standard to hold back the flood tide of
temptation - Isa. 59:19
2. "Christ in you the hope of glory": Col. 1:27
a. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them" - 2 Cor. 5:19
b. "He hath made us accepted in the beloved" - Eph. 1:6
c. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of his grace" - verse 7
3. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure": Phil. 2:13
a. God is the full and glorious answer to the change from the old to
the new; from a life of sin and death to a life in Christ, the hope of eternal life.
b. It is God who is the source of the power by which He will in due
time bring to pass what He has purposed to do to the glory of his wonderful name.
c. It is God that will consummate in us that which we lack to be
suitable subjects of his glorious kingdom.
4. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church
by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." Eph. 3:20-21
A NEW CREATURE
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF

1. The Old Man: Rom. 6:6; Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:22
2. The New Man: Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10

B. NATURE OF THE OLD MAN

1. Nothing about him is sound:
a. "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness
in it;
b. But wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores" - Isa. 1:16
2. Note these Bible facts about the old man:
a. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked - Jer. 17:9
b. The mind has been blinded by Satan - 2 Cor. 4:4
c. The conscience has been seared, as with a hot iron - 1 Tim. 4:2
d. The will has been enslaved to a point where it leaves the sinner
helpless - Rom. 7:15-26
e. The tongue is full of poison - Rom. 3:13
f. The mouth is full of cursing - Rom. 3:14; Jas. 3:1-11
3. The fruit of the old man makes him wholly unfit for the kingdom of God:
a. It is the lust of the flesh which is set against the work of the Holy
Spirit.
 b. Think of the catalogue of sins attributed to the life of the old man -
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murder, drunkenness, revellings -
Gal. 5:19-21
4. This condition of the old man makes it impossible for him to enter into the
kingdom of God:
a. Rom. 6:5-7; Matt. 16:22, 23
b. Rev. 21:17; 22:14, 15
5. That is why he must be crucified, put out of the way, to give place to the
new man, created in righteousness:

C. THE NEW MAN

1. Nature of the new man:
a. He is formed, as Adam was (Gen. 1:26, 27), in the image of God.
b. That makes him a new creature - 2 Cor. 5:17
c. He is created in righteousness and true holiness - Eph. 4:24
d. He is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him that
created him - Col. 3:10
2. This experience gives him a new standing before God and men:
a. Old things have passed away. What a wonderful blessing to all
who experience such a new life!
b. How wonderful it is to be able to turn our back upon our sinful
past!
EXAMPLES -
(1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
(2) The woman of Samaria - John 4:1-29
(3) David - Acts 13:22
3. What about all our sins?
a. "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a
cloud thy sins" - Isa. 44:22
b. "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" - Mi. 7:18,
19
c. Christ, "who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the
tree" - 1 Pet. 2:24
4. This experience makes us fellow heirs with Christ of all God's promises;
and it prepares us for translation when Christ comes the second time:
5. How does this glorious experience affect you, dear reader?
THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN
JOHN 3:1-9

A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF TWO GREAT MYSTERIES

1. The mystery of iniquity:
a. The great counterfeit system spread all over the world - 2 Thess.
2:7
b. Great Babylon - Rev. 14:8; 17:1-9
2. The mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
 a. The mystery of godliness - 1 Tim. 3:16
b. The mystery of the gospel - Rev. 10:7

B. THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN

1. In His conversation with Nicodemus, our Lord introduces the world's
mystery man:
a. Nicodemus, a learned church leader, a master in Israel, seemed to
know nothing about this man.
b. "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is
old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" - John 3:4
c. "Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?" - verse
10
2. Some Bible facts about the world's mystery man:
a. He is not of this world -
(1) "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you." - John 15:19
(2) "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated
them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." - John 17:14
b. He is born from above -
(1) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12, 13
(2) "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." - Jas. 1:18

C. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN

1. He is a totally new creature:
a. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" - 2 Cor.
5:17
b. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works" - Eph. 2:10
2. He has:
a. A new heart - Ezek. 36:26; Ps. 51:10; Jer. 24:7
b. A new and upright spirit - Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26
c. A new life - Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21
d. A new speech - 1 Pet. 1:15; 2 Pet. 1:20; Phil. 3:20
e. New affections - Col. 3:2; Rom. 12:1-6
f. New association - 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Rom. 13:11-14; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1
John 1:3
3. The world's mystery man has a mission in this world:
a. He is to be a light to the people in this sin darkened world - Matt.
5:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:5; Phil. 2:15
b. He is the salt of the earth - Matt. 5:13. This means that his
usefulness is universal.
c. He is to foster the interests of heaven - 1 Pet. 2:9-11
 4. Anyone may become the world's mystery man:
a. By accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour - 1 John 5:1-5
b. By being born again - John 3:1-6; 1 John 3:1-9
c. By letting the Holy Spirit of God live in him - 1 Cor. 6:19, 20;
Rom. 8:12-16
d. By walking in the Spirit and crucifying the sinful habits that are
common to the natural man - Rom. 6:1-6
"WHEN THOU ART CONVERTED"
LUKE 22:31-34

A. OUR LORD'S SOLICITUDE FOR AN OVERCONFIDENT DISCIPLE

1. His paternal warning to Peter:
a. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he
may sift you as wheat." - Luke 22:31-34; Amos 9:9, 10
b. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" - 1 Pet. 5:8
c. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is
come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time." - Rev. 12:12
2. His reassurance to Peter:
a. "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" - Luke 22:32
b. It is wonderful that we too have an advocate with the Father, our
Saviour - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:25, 26
3. He makes a startling forecast to the over-confident follower:
a. You will deny me three times - Matt. 26:69-74; Mark 14:67-72
b. How good it is to know that our Saviour knows our every
weakness and remembers us in his prayer - Ps. 106:46

B. WHEN THOU ART CONVERTED

1. This prediction shows that there are two opposing natures in man:
a. The carnal nature - 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Rom. 7:14; John 3:6; 1 Cor. 15:50
b. The divine nature - We become partakers of this nature through
faith in Jesus Christ - 2 Pet. 1:2-7
2. These two natures are opposed to each other:
Rom. 7:14-18
a. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other" - Gal. 5:17
b. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" -
Gal. 5:16

C. OUR LORD WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED IN THE CONVERTED PETER

1. He repented of his denial of his Master with many bitter tears:
a. That tenderhearted and pitying look of the Master broke his heart;
he wept - Mark 14:72
b. He called to mind the words of the Lord, and he realized that the
Lord knew him much better than he knew himself; he was overconfident.
 2. Peter, the converted Peter, became a strong witness for his Master:
a. Think of the power of his simple sermon on the day of Pentecost!
Acts 2:14-36
b. His boldness before the Jewish leaders at the peril of his life - Acts
4:19; 5:29
c. Legend has it that Peter died a martyr for Christ; that when they
wanted to nail him to the cross, he requested to be crucified with his head downward.
3. Peter's experience shows:
a. That conversion is a daily experience - 1 Cor. 15:31
b. That conversion is not just an outburst of human emotions; but a
change of attitude; a change of heart - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
c. It involves the crucifixion of the old carnal nature.
d. The daily renewal of the man created in the image of Jesus Christ -
2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10
e. His experience shows further that our usefulness to the cause of
God depends upon our true and daily conversion -
(1) "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" - Luke
22:32
(2) "And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall
walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord." - Zech. 10:12
"WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?"
JAMES 4:14

A. HEART SEARCHING QUESTIONS

1. "Where Art Thou?": Gen. 3:9
2. "Where is Abel thy Brother?": Gen. 3:9
3. "How Shall We Escape?": Heb. 2:3

B. ONE OF LIFE'S GREATEST QUESTIONS - "WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?"

1. Our natural life:
a. Is very short - Ps. 90:10
b. Most uncertain - Prov. 27:1; Isa. 38:12
2. Our moral life:
a. For the child of God, it is a walk with God -
(1) It was for Enoch - Gen. 5:22-23
(2) Noah, too, walked with God - Gen. 6:9
(3) Abraham walked with God - Gen. 17:1
b. For a sinner, it is a time of long-suffering by a merciful God - Gen.
6:1-6; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:9
c. For the child of God, life is opportunity -
(1) To develop character for the world to come - Phil. 4:8; 2
Pet. 1:2-8
(2) To do good and bless others - Matt. 5:13-16; 25:1-12; Luke
12:20
d. For the sinner, life is sowing upon the flesh and reaping a woeful
harvest in the end - Gal. 6:6, 7; Luke 16:1-12
 e. These facts speak for themselves; they show conclusively -
(1) That life is conduct - good or bad.
(2) It is an expression of our person, and that gives it personal
responsibility - Eccl. 11:9; Gal. 6:7, 8
(3) Life is influence, and influence makes a mark upon the life
of others - good or bad - 2 Cor. 2:15, 16

C. WHY THIS QUESTION?

1. Our life in the flesh determines our final destiny:
a. The day of reckoning is certain -
(1) That was made clear to Belshazzar on that notable and fatal
night for him and his kingdom - Dan. 5:25-28
(2) Felix understood this truth - Acts 24:25
(3) So will every one of us - Luke 16:1, 2; Gal. 6:6, 7; 2 Cor.
5:10
b. The wise man says of life "To every thing there is a season, and a
time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant,
and a time to pluck that which is planted" - Eccl. 3:1-8
(1) All this shows that life is opportunity, which itself is a part
of life.
(2) It is up to me how I use life or opportunity, for good or for
bad!
(3) These solemn facts make life a very grave possession!
2. But there is a brighter side to our subject:
a. The question is brought to our attention to show to us -
(1) That we still have it in our power to determine, at least in
part, the outcome of our life; for us it still is a choice - Deut. 30:19; Josh. 24:15
(2) There are, as yet, two roads open to us, and we may choose
one of them - Matt. 7:13, 14
(3) Our sins can still be forgiven and blotted from the book of
record - Acts 3:19, 20
(4) God's hand is still stretched out to us, inviting us to forsake
the way of sin, and return to the Lord - Isa. 55:7
(5) It is still today - but only today for you and me, let us use it
to determine our life now and forever - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9
A SINLESS LIFE

A. A SINLESS LIFE
1. Sin is the transgression of God's law: 1 John 3:4
2. All unrighteousness is sin: 1 John 5:17
3. Unbelief is sin: Rom. 14:23
4. He who sins misses the mark: Rom. 3:23; Jas. 3:1-2

B. PLAIN TRUTH PLAINLY TOLD

1. We are, by nature, sinners:
a. That is what the scripture hath concluded - Gal. 3:22
 b. "Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me" - Ps. 51:5
2. The power of sin has, to a large extent, incapacitated us so that we are
unable to do what we know is right:
a. Paul discovered this truth - Rom. 7:18, 19, 24
b. The prophet Jeremiah confirms Paul's confession - Jer. 13:23
c. Sooner or later we, too, will make that discovery.
3. A sinless life:
a. A life fully in harmony with the perfect will of God -
(1) That is found in the Son of God - Col. 2:9; Heb. 7:26, 27
(2) That is to be true in the lives of all who will be translated
into God's kingdom when Christ comes the second time - 1 John 3:1-3
b. There are a few Bible characters spoken of as being perfect -
(1) Job - Job 1:1-3
(2) Daniel - Dan. 10:11
(3) The priest Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth - Luke 1:6
(4) The one hundred and forty-four thousand are spoken of as
blameless - Rev. 14:5

C. SOME TRUTHS TO REMEMBER AS WE THINK OF A SINLESS LIFE

1. To be sinless we must have the divine or sinless nature:
a. We sin, or are inclined to sin because our nature is sinful - Jer.
13:23
b. We sin because we have formed the habit of sinning.
2. To be sinless, we must be born again; we must be born from above: John
3:3-9; 1 John 3:9
3. That brings us to the divine agents used by the spirit of God to bring about
the divine nature:
a. The blood of Christ - 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5
b. The Word of God - Jas. 1:17, 18; 1 Pet. 1:22, 23
c. In the end we are credited with the perfect righteousness of Christ -
1 Cor. 1:30; Acts 13:22
d. Perfection is the work of the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; 1 John 3:9;
Isa. 59:19
4. A sinless life:
a. Is the great object of the plan of salvation - Matt. 1:21
b. It must be accomplished in our lives before we can even dream of
immortality because God will and cannot immortalize sin.
c. Faith in the saving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ will lead to
a life that is in full harmony with the perfect will of God.
d. Jesus will be satisfied when he can see the trophies of his grace -
freed forever from the bondage of sin - John 8:31-36
LIFE MORE ABUNDANT
JOHN 10:10

A. MISSION OF THE SON OF GOD

 1. Can you sum up the many reasons for the mission of our Lord to this
world?
2. He states his mission in a few words, "I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly."
3. You may sum up the gospel of Jesus Christ in one word "LIFE":

B. LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY

1. What is life to begin with?
a. For me, personally, life is the gift of God - Dan. 5:23
b. It is opportunity to develop character; to do good unto others; and
to serve God.
c. For Enoch, life was a walk with God - Gen. 5:22, 23
d. To Paul, life was Christ - Phil. 1:21
2. For the child of God:
a. Life is fellowship - 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14
b. Life is service for others; he, who serves most, lives longest - Gen.
12:3. Peter, Paul, and John still live through their writings; that is true of all the writers
of the books of the Bible.
c. Life is usefulness - he, who does the most good, has the largest
measure of life - Gen. 5:22, 23
3. The more abundant life:
a. One must keep in mind that life is a matter of degrees. Some have
life, but it flickers like a dying candle, and indistinct as the fire is in the smoking flax.
b. Others are full of life and are like the blacksmith's forge when the
bellows are in full blast.
c. A study of the Bible shows that even spiritual life is by degrees,
some have more and others have much less.
d. The more abundant life -
(1) It is a life of wide interest, "ye are the salt of the earth" -
Matt. 5:13; "Ye are the light of the world" - Matt. 5:14
(2) It is the life of deep enjoyment - Matt. 18:13; Ps. 16:11
(3) It is a life of eternal duration - John 11:26

C. HOW THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE MANIFESTS ITSELF

1. In stamina or endurance:
a. "He that endureth unto the end shall be saved" - Matt. 24:13
b. "Blessed is the man that endureth" - Jas. 1:12
2. By the constant enlargement of the sphere of influence:
a. That was true of Abraham, of Joseph, and other Old Testament
worthies.
b. That was true of Paul, in a special sense.
c. And think of Ellen G. White, a humble woman, and how her
influence is growing with the growth of this movement.
3. Life becomes more abundant as our powers are brought into exercise:
a. An increase of energy is indicated by our opening text.
 b. Power, even though plentiful, must be put into use to be of
consequence.

D. THE SOURCE OF THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE

1. Faith in Christ is one of the richest sources of the more abundant life:
a. John 7:37, 38
b. John 1:4; 8:12
2. The presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit:
a. Remember the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-17
b. Note the abundant life of Stephen - Acts 6:8, 15
3. Secret prayer is still another source of the more abundant life:
a. It was for Moses - Ex. 34:29-33; for Jacob - Gen. 32:25-30; and it
was for the Son of God. Is it for you?
THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE
PSALMS 36:9

A. HUMANITY IN SEARCH FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

1. Efforts of Medical Science:
a. Great progress has been made for the prolongation of life.
b. Numerous diseases have been checked and the general health of
the people has improved.
2. Material wealth in the United States of America has never been greater;
and the people seem to enjoy undreamed of prosperity:
a. Slogans "we have never had it so good" are government sponsored.
b. The food supply in the United States of America has never before
been so abundant as now.

B. BUT THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE SEEMS TO EVADE THE MAJORITY

OF THE PEOPLE
1. Many seek it in the wrong place:
a. Some think that it is in the abundance of material wealth - Jas. 5:1-
11
b. But our Saviour informs us that "a man's life consisted not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth" - Luke 12:15
(1) That was true in the experience of Nabal - 1 Sam. 25:5-38
(2) Our Saviour warns against attaching our heart to material
riches - Luke 12:16-21
(3) The abundance of material wealth will doom the wealthy of
the last days - Jas. 5:1-9
2. The More Abundant Life:
a. Is, by and large, of a spiritual nature -
(1) That is what James tells us - Jas. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:27
(2) That is the life that reveals itself in man's character - Phil.
4:8
b. The more abundant life is manifested -
(1) Chastity or pure in heart - Matt. 5:5
 (2) Sterling honesty - Job 1:1-3; Dan. 6:4, 5
(3) A clear conscience - Acts 24:16
c. Peace of mind -
When John Huss, so we are told, walked to the stakes he sang a
song of praise.
Paul and Silas sang songs of praise, while their bodies were
bleeding - Acts 16:24, 25
d. Confidence is still another ingredient of the more abundant life -
(1) The young man David had more of this life than Saul and
all his army - 1 Sam. 17:1-52
(2) Daniel, when he was put to a test about the kings meat
revealed a wealth of confidence in God's care - Dan. 8:19
(3) The three Hebrews, too, had the more abundant life that
enabled them to defy the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 3:12-28

C. THE TRUE SOURCE OF THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE

1. Is with God and Him alone:
a. "For with thee is the fountain of life."
b. "In thy light shall we see light" - Ps. 36:9
c. "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
and thou shall make them drink of the river of pleasure" - Ps. 36:8
2. Jesus Christ is God's channel to bestow the more abundant life upon all
who hunger and thirst for that life:
a. Said He, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6
b. "I am the resurrection and the life" - John 11:25
c. The saddest words our Saviour spoke are, "ye will not come to me,
that ye might have life" - John 5:40
3. There are two more ingredients of the more abundant life, worthy of our
notice:
a. Love - "God is love" - 1 John 4:8 - It is said that love is so much a
part of God that when you speak of one you include the other.
b. Faith - "The just shall live by faith" - Rom. 1:17
LIFE FOR A LOOK
NUMBERS 21:8

A. THE PRECIOUS WORDS OF OUR TEXT HAS BEEN PUT IN THESE

MEMORABLE WORDS: "WE HAVE HERE THE GREATEST POSSIBLE
NUMBER, UNDER THE BEST POSSIBLE GUARANTEE, AND OF THE EASIEST
POSSIBLE TERMS."
1. Moses was directed to make a serpent of brass, and set it upon a pole:
2. That every one that was bitten, when he looked upon the brazen serpent,
might live:
3. This fact shows that life and salvation are one and the same thing; life is
salvation from death:
B. WE HAVE IN THIS TEXT THREE GREAT AND WONDERFUL GOSPEL
TRUTHS
1. "Every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live":
a. All have been bitten by that old serpent, the devil - Rom. 3:23;
5:12; 1 John 3:7-11
b. God's offer of salvation includes the greatest possible number - 1
John 2:1-3; Rev. 22:17; 1 Tim. 2:5
c. What a significant emblem of the cross of Calvary! John 6:44, 65;
12:32
d. What a practical application of John 3:16 - "For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
2. Under the best possible guarantee:
a. The serpent on the pole was no human devise. It was the divine
method for recovery from the bite of the serpent -
(1) No one could reason out just how looking to the brazen
serpent would save one from death.
(2) It shows again that God's way is not our way - Isa. 55:8, 9
b. The plan of salvation is, for many, foolishness because the carnal
mind does not receive the things of the Spirit - 1 Cor. 1:18-25
c. God's guarantee is found in His word - Num. 23:19-21; Jas. 1:17
3. On the best or easiest possible terms:
a. "Look unto me" - Isa. 45:22, 23
b. "Behold the Lamb of God" - John 1:29
c. "There is life in a look at the sacred cross."
d. A look at the brass serpent was the easiest and yet the most
difficult move to make by the bitten person.
(1) A look takes the least effort, as far as our physical action is
concerned,
(2) But to believe that a look at the serpent would save the life
of the suffering is very difficult, unless one sees in all this God directing sinners to
exercise their faith in God's promise.

C. GOSPEL FACTS TO REMEMBER

1. Our text shows that the mind, as well as the body, has eyes:
a. We say, look at this fact; look at this or that historic person -
(1) Abraham saw the day of the Messiah and was glad; he did
that with his spiritual eyes - John 8:56
(2) Moses saw the day when his people would triumph over
their enemy - Heb. 11:24-28
b. It is by beholding the incarnate Son of God that we are changed - 2
Cor. 3:17, 18
2. When we see Jesus:
a. We see God manifested in the flesh - 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:18-21
b. We see God's love personified in His dear Son - 1 John 4:8; John
14:9
 c. We see our only hope for salvation - Acts 4:12
3. Note, please, these closing thoughts on our subject:
a. God's love made full provision for all sinners - John 3:16
b. If some sinners are lost, it is because they refused to look at the
Lamb of God for their life - John 5:40
THERE IS LIFE IN A LOOK
ISAIAH 45:22, 23

A. AN IMPORTANT TRUTH: "FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE"

1. The above words express the idea that God, and God alone, is competent to save
man from sin: Acts 4:12
2. It is not in man to save himself:
a. He cannot change his nature - Jer. 13:23
b. He cannot atone for his sin - Jer. 2:22

B. A SIMPLE DIRECTION: "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED"

1. Man's most serious mistake:
a. He looks in the wrong direction for help - Ps. 146:3; Jer. 17:5
b. A mark of the last days - 2 Tim. 4:1-4
2. Our look to God is an expression of our seeking salvation from Him:
a. "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills" - Ps. 121:1, 2
b. You make a promise to anyone and he will look to you for the
fulfillment of your promise.
c. A man, in a shipwreck, looks to the lifeboat to save himself from
drowning.
3. Our look is at once the easiest and also the most difficult way to be saved:
a. It is the least effort consuming - There is life in a look!
(1) The children of Israel that were bitten by the serpents were
directed to look at the "fiery serpent" made by Moses of brass, to be saved - Num. 21:6-9
(2) The servant of the man of God was directed to look to the
mountain to see the host of heaven surrounding the prophet - 2 Ki. 6:15-17
b. It is most difficult because it requires childlike faith in God's
promises -
(1) Naaman learned this truth - 2 Ki. 5
(2) The young ruler missed it - Matt. 19
(3) Moses saw it - Heb. 11:24-26

C. A UNIVERSAL INVITATION: "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED,

ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH"
1. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers that invitation to all the world:
a. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" - Matt. 28:18-20
b. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world"
- Matt. 24:24
c. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" - Acts 1:8
 2. Salvation is sufficient for all the needs of earth:
a. The atonement is sufficient for all the ills of the human race - 1
John 2:1-3
b. It is God's will that all men should be saved - 1 Tim. 2:1-5
c. The reception of the gospel of our salvation in all the world is
predicted in Bible prophecy - Isa. 61:1-11
3. It follows:
a. That all glory of salvation must be ascribed to God -
(1) Rev. 11:13; 14:7; 15:4
(2) Ps. 84:11; 115:1
b. That is what nine of the lepers that had been cleansed forgot - Luke
17:13-18
c. That the salvation of sinners depends upon heeding the direction
given by God -
(1) Naaman had to learn this truth - 2 Ki. 5:9-14
(2) The blind man followed the Lord's direction and he was
healed - John 9:7, 11
d. Our solemn duty is to direct sinners to Jesus Christ, our only
Saviour - Acts 4:12; John 12:32
"BE THOU PERFECT"
GENESIS 17:1

A. BACKGROUND TO THIS DIVINE SUMMONS

1. Abram's difficulty -- how to realize God's promise of a son in his old age:
2. Sarai, too, doubted in her heart that she could bear a child, as old as she
was:
3. Abram's marriage to an Egyptian woman and the subsequent domestic
trouble: Compare Gen. 12:1-3 with chapters 13:14-17; 16; 17

B. THE DIVINE SUMMONS

1. "Walk before me":
a. Be fully conscious of my presence in all you do - Acts 2:25; Gen.
16:13
b. Let my presence guide you in all you do; it will be a safeguard for
you against hasty and unwise actions.
c. How different our lives would be if we realized that our actions are
like an open book before God! Ps. 139:1-17
2. "Be thou perfect":
a. That is a divine summons -
(1) To exercise complete confidence in God's promises - Rom.
4:16, 17
(2) To rely, not on human effort, but upon God's power - Job.
42:1, 2; Matt. 19:26; Mark 9:23
b. The command "Be thou perfect" rests on the same basis as the
command -
 (1) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect" - Matt. 5:48
(2) "Be filled with the Spirit" - Eph. 5:18
c. The attainment of perfection comes in our complete confidence
and compliance with the perfect will of God -
(1) Peter learned this truth the hard way - Matt. 14:28, 29
(2) The disciples, too, learned from experience - Luke 8:22-25;
John 6:5-14
(3) We also need this lesson - Luke 18:8; Matt. 24:12, 13

C. OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER IS THE

NAME BY WHICH GOD MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO ABRAM - "I AM THE
ALMIGHTY GOD"
1. This name is full of divine signification:
a. God is all-able - Matt. 19:26; nothing is too hard for Him - Job.
42:1, 2; Sarai was reminded of this truth because she doubted God's promise - Gen. 18:9-
15. We need not point a finger of accusation at Sarai. We, too, doubt at times that God
will keep His promise to His children.
b. Let God be all-sufficient for you. "Whom have I in heaven but
thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee" - Ps. 16:2; 73:25
c. For our God is altogether dependable -
(1) "My God shall supply all your needs" - Phil. 4:19
(2) "In thy presence are pleasures forevermore" - Ps. 16:11
(3) Christ never changes - Heb. 13:8; Matt. 24:35; Mal. 3:6
2. Here, dear friends, is the great secret of our opening text:
a. Perfection centers in Jesus Christ - Heb. 1:3; Col. 2:9
b. If we have Christ living in us, we have the key to Christian
perfection -
(1) "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus " - Rom. 8:1
(2) "Christ in you the hope of glory" - Col. 1:27
(3) "Ye are complete in Him" - Col. 2:10
3. Also, the ability to be perfect is embodied in our faith in God and our
consequent obedience to the divine summons:
a. That is how Peter walked on the water - Matt. 14:28, 29; caught
the fish with the coin that was to pay his taxes - Matt. 17:27
b. That is how the ten lepers were cleansed - Luke 17:14
c. That is the answer to Christian perfection.
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
PART I
MATTHEW 5:48

A. BIBLICAL MEANING OF PERFECTION

1. The first man - Adam:
a. Created in the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1
 b. Reflected the perfection of his Creator in a limited sense - Gen.
5:1-3; Rom. 6:16, 17; Luke 4:1-6
c. Disobedience or sin marred this character image - Gen. 3:1-23;
Rom. 3:1-19, 23; 6:16; Jer. 18:1-6
2. The second Adam - Christ:
a. Expresses the image of His Father's character to its fullest or
unlimited perfection - Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:6
b. He is our pattern of perfection -
(1) Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18
(2) Col. 2:10; 1 John 3:3; Heb. 12:1-6

B. IN WHAT SENSE CAN POOR MORTAL BEINGS ATTAIN THE

PERFECTION OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER? "BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT,
EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT."
1. It will be well for us to keep in mind that the perfection of our text cannot
and does not enter the field of infinity:
a. It pertains to the perfection of a created and finite being -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Job is declared a perfect man - Job 1:1; but in comparison
to God, he readily acknowledges his total unworthiness - Job. 42:5, 6
(2) Isaiah is another typical example - Isa. 6:1-7
b. It will be well for us to compare ourselves to the clay in the
Potter's hand - Jer. 18:1-5, 6
2. It is a perfection totally connected with the plan of salvation:
a. It is an ideal to strive for - Phil. 3:13-16
b. It involves a change of nature - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Phil. 2:6-11

C. NATURE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION

1. Christ-likeness is the one goal for every believer:
a. That was the central goal of Paul - "that I may know him" - Phil.
3:10
b. That is the plan of salvation, "to be conformed to the image of
(God's) His Son" - Rom. 8:29
2. Purity in character - in thought, word, and action:
a. A wonderful ideal to strive for - Phil. 4:8
b. The golden rule - Matt. 7:12
3. A fourfold objective for attaining unto perfection:
a. Love for God, His word, and for our fellow men - 1 John 4:8, 17;
Gen. 22:12; Matt. 22:34-39
b. Obedience to God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit - 2 Cor. 2:9;
10:5; Phil. 2:6-11
c. Patience - a virtue developed through trials and hardships - Rom.
5:3-4; Jas. 5:7-12; Rev. 14:12
d. Virtue - purity of mind, body and soul; that is the true essence of
Christian perfection -
EXAMPLES -
 (1) Joseph was a virtuous person; he could not be bought to
betray his moral character - Gen. 39:1-10
(2) Christ could not be enticed to betray virtue - Matt. 4:1-11;
Luke 4:1-6
4. The God chosen means to bring the believer to perfection:
a. The Word of God - 1 Pet. 1:22; Ps. 119:9-11; Heb. 4:12
b. The blood of Christ - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rev. 1:5; 1 John 1:7
c. The Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; Hos. 1:12; 2 Thess. 2:13
d. Trials and tribulations - Mal. 3:1-3; 1 Pet. 4:12
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
PART II
MATTHEW 5:48

A. MEANING OF PERFECTION
1. Being complete:
a. We are complete in Christ - Col. 2:10; Eph. 3:19; Heb. 12:23
2. Having been accepted in the Beloved:
a. Examples - Job, Daniel, and Enoch are recorded in the Bible as
God's ideal - Job. 1:1-3; Ezek. 14:20; Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33

B. CHRISTIAN PERFECTION THE GOAL OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS

CHRIST
1. Paul's constant goal for himself and his fellow believers:
a. "Let us go on to perfection" - Heb. 6:1
b. "We wish even your perfection" - 2 Cor. 13:9
c. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
- 2 Cor. 7:1
2. Other gospel writers emphasize the same objective - Christian perfection:
a. "And every one that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
he is pure" - 1 John 3:3
b. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner
of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." - 2 Pet. 3:11
c. "But yet, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." - Jude 20, 21
3. That is what our Saviour means when He admonishes us, "be ye also
ready: for in such an hour when ye think not the Son of man cometh": Matt. 24:42-51

C. THE BIBLE EMPHASIZES A DUAL PERFECTION

1. One is by accreditation:
a. The believer is credited with the life of Christ -- righteousness is
imputed to the believer - 1 Cor. 1:30
b. It is the free gift of God, without our own worthiness of it -
EXAMPLES -
(1) The penitent thief received this perfection - Luke 23:42-44
 (2) The woman of Samaria is still another example of this free
gift - John 4:23-36
(3) Mary Magdalene is another trophy of God's grace - Matt.
27:56; John 19:24
2. The other is the work of the Holy Spirit in cooperation with the believer:
a. This perfection affects our life; it is the perfection of character - 2
Cor. 7:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:2-11
b. It is the work of a lifetime for many reasons -
(1) Because of human limitations - Prov. 4:18; 1 Cor. 13:17,
18; Phil. 3:13, 14
(2) Because our inherent weaknesses slow down the progress
of the work of the Holy Spirit - John 16:12; 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12, 13
(3) This fact is recognized by our Lord and informed teachers
of the Word - John 16:12; Heb. 5:12, 13
(4) It is an experience that involves growth; that means that it
is progressive - 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Pet. 3:18
3. How do people act when they are in the process of obtaining Christian
perfection?
a. Not pharisaical - Luke 18:10-14; Num. 12:3; Job 42:5, 6
b. Keep their eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith -
Heb. 12:1-12; Gal. 1:15
c. Work out their own salvation with fear and trembling - Phil. 4:8
d. It is by beholding Jesus, and not their own sinful self, that the
believer is changed.
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
PART III
MATTHEW 5:48

A. PERFECTION AS SPOKEN OF IN THE BIBLE

1. Our English word "perfection" comes from two words:
a. The Hebrew word "shalom" and the
b. Greek word "teleios" and signifies complete, ideal, without
blemish, full grown, and finished.
2. Christ is the embodiment of all perfection:
a. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." - Col.
2:9
b. He is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of
His person - Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4
3. A few other persons are spoken of in the Bible as being perfect:
a. Noah - Gen. 6:8
b. Job - Job 1:1-3
c. Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth - Luke 1:5, 6
d. The one hundred and forty-four thousand as seen on Mount Zion -
Rev. 14:1-7

B. BIBLE PERFECTION
 1. Not in the power of sinful beings:
a. Job's question - Job. 14:4
b. Jeremiah's testimony - Jer. 13:23
c. Paul states some reasons against the inherent perfection by sinful
persons - Rom. 3:12; 7:18, 24
d. The prophet Isaiah gives some other reasons - Isa. 1:1-19; 64:6
2. Christian perfection comes through Jesus Christ our Lord:
a. "Ye are complete in him" - Col. 2:10; Eph. 3:19
b. He is our righteousness - 1 Cor. 1:30; Jer. 33:16; 2 Cor. 5:21
c. There is no condemnation to them that are clothed with the robe of
Christ's righteousness - Rom. 8:1; Rev. 19:7, 8; Isa. 61:10

C. HOW PERFECTION IS ATTAINED

1. Negatively:
a. It is not the fruit of human effort - Rom. 10:1-3; Luke 18:9-14
b. That nullifies the claims of many "isms" in the religious world
such as Hinduism, Brahmanism, Catholicism, Jewry, Pentecostalism and kindred cults.
2. Perfection comes to us through two experiences:
a. It is imputed unto the believer. That means that perfection is given
to him as a free gift - Rom. 4:21-24; Luke 23:43; John 8:11. This transaction is
instantaneous!
b. It is implanted into our lives. That means that as we allow the
Holy Spirit to implant the Word of God into our hearts, we become partakers of the
divine nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-7; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18
3. This twofold experience is very important for a number of good reasons:
a. We are in need of the imputed perfection to affect our standing
before God - Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33
b. We need a transformation of our lives to become suitable subjects
of the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 5:5; 2 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 19:27
4. Experience and the Word of God show that the implanting of perfection is
the work of a lifetime:
a. Paul thought of it in that light - 2 Cor. 7:1-3; Phil. 3:13-15
b. Peter teaches the steady Christian growth - 2 Pet. 1:5-8
c. These Bible references will confirm my position - Heb. 6:1; Phil.
2:13, 14; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:1-3
5. Christian perfection must be obtained before Christ comes the second
time: Compare 1 John 3:1-3 with 2 T, p. 355; CH, p. 44; 4 T, p. 568; CH, p. 384; 1 T, pp.
33, 34; COL, p. 330.
This indicates that we will have to work out our salvation with fear and
trembling - Phil. 2:12, 13
UNDER THE DIVINE INFLUENCE
EXODUS 34:28, 29, 30

A. SAMPLES OF THE DIVINE INFLUENCE

1. Moses: "The skin of his face shone while he talked with Him."
2. Our Lord: "His face did shine as the sun." - Matt. 17:1-5
 3. Stephen: "They saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." - Acts
6:15

B. OUR TEXT BRINGS TO OUR ATTENTION THE EFFECT OF COMMUNION

WITH GOD
1. We are transformed or changed into the likeness of our Maker and
Redeemer:
a. That is the great objective of redemption - Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49
b. We are to be partakers of the divine nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-4
c. By beholding the spotless life of the Son of God we became
changed - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18
2. The divine glory so visible in the face of Moses was the unconscious
reflection of the power of God:
a. Moses wished that his face did not shine to a point when his fellow
men could not look at him - Ex. 34:30
b. Moses was too occupied by the cares of leading God's people
safely through the wilderness - Ex. 33:12-16
c. His mind was filled with the law that God had written - Jas. 1:23-
25; Ps. 119:18
3. Our blessed Lord had a similar experience while engaged in prayer:
a. "And as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered, and
his raiment was white and glistening" - Luke 9:29
b. "His face did shine as the sun and his raiment was as the light" -
Matt. 17:2
c. That is the way John saw the Lord waiting among the seven golden
candlesticks - Rev. 1:12-14

C. A VERY TIMELY LESSON ON THE EFFECT OF THE PRAYER LIFE

1. Our text makes it obvious that close fellowship with God in prayer
connects us with the power of God:
a. More and greater things are wrought through prayer than by any
other means -
(1) The Red Sea was parted so that Israel walked on dry
ground - Ex. 14:16
(2) The dead were brought back to life - Acts 9:40
(3) The eyes of a young and perplexed man were opened - 2
Ki. 6:17
2. It shows us what blessings we miss when we fail to commune with God:
Jas. 4:1-3
3. Channels of communication:
a. Secret prayer. Secret prayer is highly recommended by our Lord -
Matt. 6:6. It is here where we are freest to open our hearts to one who understands us and
who will keep things in confidence.
b. The family altar. The family altar is the God chosen channel to
bless the family.
(1) We think of Noah's family altar - Gen. 8:20
 (2) Of Job's intercession for his family - Job 1:1-6
(3) Joshua, too, kept the family altar alive - Josh. 24:15
c. Community prayer. Our Saviour placed great emphasis upon
community prayer - Matt. 18:20
(1) Community prayers were very effective in times of crisis
for the cause of God.
(2) The time of Queen Esther - Esth. 4:16
(3) When the apostles were put in prison to be killed - Acts
4:24-31
d. Dear friends, are you using the heaven provided channels for
keeping close communion with God, the source of light -- light and power?
BIBLE CONVERSION
MATTHEW 18:3, 4

A. THE NEED FOR CONVERSION

1. Is universal:
a. John 3:3-6; Rom. 3:11, 23
b. There are no exceptions or exemptions because we all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God.
2. Our sinful condition demands it:
a. Jer. 13:23; Isa. 1:1-9
b. Isa. 53:6
3. The holiness of God demands it:
a. Heb. 12:14; Isa. 6:1-6

B. BIBLE CONVERSION - WHAT IS IT?

1. Negatively:
a. Not water baptism - Gal. 6:15; 1 Cor. 4:15
b. Not the acceptance of a form of religion - John 3:3-9; 2 Tim. 3:1-9
2. Positively:
a. True conversion means for man to forsake his own way and to turn
to the way God has marked out for man - Isa. 55:7; 59:20; Luke 15:11-19
b. It is a change of heart - Ezek. 36:26, 27; Acts 9:1-22
EXAMPLES -
(1) Zacchaeus, the tax collector - Luke 19:8
(2) The prodigal son - Luke 15:17-19
(3) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:40-44
(4) Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-6
c. Turning from darkness to light - Acts 26:14-19; 1 Pet. 2:9-11
d. Becoming the servants of Christ instead of serving Satan and sin -
Rom. 6:16, 17; 2 Cor. 5:14-17; 1 Pet. 4:1-5
e. Bible conversion is the transformation from the carnal to the divine
nature -
(1) Put off the old man - Eph. 4:22-24
(2) Put on the new man, created in righteousness - Col. 3:9-11;
2 Pet. 1:2-11
C. HEAVEN'S MEANS AND RESULTS OF TRUE CONVERSION
1. God's means:
a. The Word of God - Jas. 1:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 8:31-36; Heb. 4:12;
Jer. 23:29
b. This is an important truth to keep in mind because true Bible
conversion is recreation in fact; and only the living Word of God possesses the power to
transform our sinful nature - Eph. 2:10
2. Simple faith in Jesus Christ:
a. A primary condition to salvation -
EXAMPLES -
(1) The jailer and his question - Acts 16:30, 31
(2) The Ethiopian eunuch - Acts 8:36, 37; John 3:16
b. For there is no other name under heaven that can save us - Acts
4:12
c. John assures us that simple faith in Jesus Christ is the new birth - 1
John 4:7; 5:1
3. The indwelling in our hearts of the third person of the Godhead - the Holy
Spirit:
a. This, aside from faith in Christ, the paramount fact in true Bible
conversion.
b. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God." - Rom. 8:16
4. Fruit of true Bible conversion:
a. "By their fruit shall ye know them" - Matt. 7:16, 20-26
b. Not our feeling, as such, but a positive change of attitude toward
God's Word and His people -
EXAMPLES -
(1) "Behold, he prayeth" - Acts 9:11
(2) "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor" -
Luke 19:8
(3) "And many that believed came and confessed and shewed
their deeds." - Acts 19:18
These are some of the evidences of true Bible conversion. Let us
test our own experience in the light of these Bible facts.
WATER BAPTISM
MATTHEW 3:11

A. WATER BAPTISM IS DEFINITELY A GOSPEL ORDINANCE

1. John, the forerunner of Christ, baptized the people: Matt. 3:1-18
2. Christ baptized the people through His disciples: John 4:1, 2
3. Water baptism is one of the gospel ordinances:
a. A part of the gospel commission - Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:15, 16
b. A commandment obligatory upon all who accept Jesus Christ as
their Saviour - Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 10:48
 c. Salvation is linked with the obedience of water baptism - Acts
2:38; Gal. 3:26-29

B. MEANING OF WATER BAPTISM

1. Negatively:
a. Not putting away the filth of the flesh - 1 Pet. 3:21
b. The ceremony does not by itself change human nature - Acts 8:21
2. Positively:
a. A memorial of the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus
Christ - Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12
b. It is an outward symbol of an inward experience
(1) It symbolizes an inward faith - Acts 8:36-39; Rom. 10:9-11
(2) Stands for a good conscience toward God and men - 1 Pet.
3:21
(3) It calls for fruit meat of true repentance - Matt. 3:8
(4) It symbolizes a new life - Rom. 6:6-9; Gal. 3:27
c. It is an act of obedience with which even the Son of God complied
-
(1) It is an act of righteousness - Matt. 3:13
(2) It is the counsel of God - Luke 7:29-30
d. It is the symbolical door into the body of Jesus Christ - 1 Cor.
12:13
e. Not to comply with it means that we set ourselves against the holy
will of God.
f. It is a blessed experience for those who enter it in full dedication -
Matt. 3:17; Acts 8:39

C. MODE OF BAPTISM
1. There is great confusion among Christians as to the proper mode of
baptism:
a. The majority practices sprinkling - Ezek. 36:25
b. Others pour water over the head of the person baptized.
c. Still others dip the candidate three times forward.
d. Some baptize by immersion.
2. The Bible knows only one mode of baptism:
a. Paul declares that there is only one baptism - Eph. 4:4
b. He says that "we are buried in baptism" - Rom. 6:4
c. That is why John baptized at Aenon because there was much water
there - John 3:23
d. Acts 8:38, 39 as well as Matt. 3:13, 14 show plainly that both the
one who baptizes and the one that is baptized go down into the water; that excludes
sprinkling.
3. Blessing of water baptism:
a. The forgiveness of sin is connected with water baptism - Acts
3:38; 22:16
 b. The gift of the Holy Ghost is also associated with this ordinance -
Acts 3:38, 39; 5:32; Matt. 3:13-18
c. My personal experience:
I saw many divine benedictions upon those who followed their
Lord in baptism. Many were healed instantly at their baptism. People received the gift of
the Holy Spirit as they came forth from the watery grave. One must enter the rite of
water baptism to experience its blessings. I think of the words of the Master, "Happy are
ye if ye know these things and do them." - John 13:17
4. Preparation for water baptism:
a. No one should be encouraged to be baptized without some
instruction in the way of the Lord.
b. The baptismal candidate should have some experience in the truth
and with the Lord before he is baptized.
c. An examination by the church board is a wise provision for the
safety of the church and the candidate.
THE ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING
JOHN 13:1-17

A. "IF I THEN, YOUR LORD AND MASTER, HAVE WASHED YOUR FEET;
YE ALSO OUGHT TO WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET. FOR I HAVE GIVEN YOU
AN EXAMPLE, THAT YE SHOULD DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU."
1. The institution of the ordinance of feet washing:
a. Was one of the last commandments, given by our Lord before He
sealed the New Testament with His own blood.
b. It was to be associated with the Lord's supper - Compare John
13:1-26 with Matt. 26:20-28
2. The ordinance of feet washing:
a. Was not understood, at first, by the disciples - John 13:6-12
b. That shows its spiritual signification. Had it been a continuation of
a menial custom of the Jews, our Lord would not have said, "what I do thou knowest not
now" - John 13:7

B. PLACE AND PURPOSE OF FEET WASHING IN THE GOSPEL

ORDINANCES
1. He, who is called the Wisdom of God, had a reason for making feet
washing one of the ordinances of the gospel:
a. It is a memorial of the great sacrifice Christ made when He took
the form of a servant (a slave) - Phil. 2:7
b. It brought dignity and honor to an act performed by servants,
considered below the dignity of a Master.
c. Without this ordinance, we could not fully understand Christian
humility.
d. It is a test of our true attitude to one another. If there is pride,
selfishness in the heart, feet washing has neither meaning nor appeal to the heart.
2. But there are other implications in this ordinance:
a. It symbolizes an inner washing or cleansing - Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5:26
 b. Water and blood are connected with the New Covenant - 1 John
5:6; John 19:34
3. The ordinance of feet washing is:
a. A reminder to the communicant to prepare to be clean when
approaching the table of the Lord - 1 Cor. 10:21
b. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground" - Ex. 3:5
c. The people could not come into God's presence unless they were
clean - Ex. 19:10

C. ITS PRACTICE BY THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST

1. Is a sacred and Christian obligation:
a. This is true in spite of the attempt by some professed Christians to
brush it aside as just a reminder to us to be humble.
b. Their plausible explanations can in no way set aside the
implication of our opening text - "For I have given you an example that ye should do as I
have done unto you."
c. It is included in the Gospel Commission of which the Lord's
command is, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" -
Matt. 28:20
d. It belongs to the doctrine of Christ - 2 John 9; John 7:17
2. There is a promise of a blessing:
a. To those who know and do this commandment - John 13:17
b. It is included in the commandments of which we read in the book
of Revelation, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." - Rev. 22:14
3. This commandment, like the other commandments, is based upon love;
and when we love Him who loved us first, we will not doubt its wisdom: John 14:15
4. My friends, do you see Christ's reason in giving us this seemingly menial
ordinance? Have you received the blessing promised by our Lord?
THE LORD'S SUPPER
1 CORINTHIANS 11:20-33

A. THE LORD'S SUPPER

1. What it is not:
a. It is not just another sacrifice as claimed by some. Christianity has
but one altar - Heb. 13:10; and one sacrifice - Heb. 10:12
b. It is not a eucharist, as taught by Rome - John 6:63
2. What it is:
a. It is a memorial of the great sacrifice made but once on the cross of
Calvary - "Do this in remembrance of me" - Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24
b. Of the death of our Lord - "while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us" - Rom. 5:8; 6:10
c. Of God's love - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting
life" - John 3:16; "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends" - John 15:13
d. It is a communion of the saints with the Lord - "The cup we bless,
is it not the communion of the body of Christ" - 1 Cor. 10:16
e. It is the divine charter of our hope - "For as often as ye eat this
bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." - 1 Cor. 11:22-28

B. WHO SHOULD PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER?

1. All who believe that Christ died for them:
a. If I believe that Jesus died for me, I will gladly partake of the
emblems of His broken body and His shed blood.
b. Not to take part in this memorial service would be a denial of the
faith.
2. All who remember the great reason for His death:
a. He died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3
b. He loved me and gave himself for me - Gal. 2:20
3. All who are not ashamed to claim redemption through His blood: Rom.
1:16

C. HOW SHOULD WE PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER?

1. Erroneous ideas:
2. Closed communion theory:
3. Bad feeling between the brethren:
4. A safe rule to follow:
a. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and
drink of that cup" - 1 Cor. 11:28
b. Self-examination excludes examination by the brethren.
c. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" - 1
Cor. 11:31
5. What many people forget about the Lord's supper:
a. That staying away from communion will not improve our standing
before God, no more than it would have helped the Israelites had they disobeyed God's
direction to keep the passover the night they left Egypt - Ex. 12.
b. Many good people forget that communion is, in a way, a shelter
against an accusing conscience.
c. They forget that communion symbolizes God's means to make
atonement for our sins.
d. If we feel that we are unworthy of participating in this memorial
service, then it is important that we make things right with our fellow men, and so eat of
that bread and drink of that cup; not stay away from communion.
6. Other facts to consider in connection with the Lord's supper:
a. Jesus was desirous to take part in it - Luke 22:15
b. Can we do less?
c. Jesus says, "Do this in remembrance of me."
d. How can I claim that I love Him if I refrain from the great
memorial of His love for me?
"IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME"
LUKE 22:15-20

A. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH WE MAY THINK OF THE

LORD'S SUPPER
1. It is a command:
a. "This do" - Luke 22:19
b. "For as often as ye do this" - 1 Cor. 11:26
2. It is an act of fellowship (communion):
a. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of
the blood of Christ?"
b. "The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of
Christ?" - 1 Cor. 10:16
3. It is a memorial:
a. "Do this in remembrance of me". It is this third way regarding the
Lord's supper which we want to consider this morning.

B. THE LORD'S SUPPER IS A FOURFOLD MEMORIAL WHICH

IMMORTALIZES THE MEMORY OF OUR LORD'S INFINITE SACRIFICE
1. It was God's way of manifesting His love for sinful humanity:
a. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" -
John 3:16
b. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Rom. 5:8
c. "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" - Gal.
2:20
2. God's love shines brightest when seen in the light of the cross of Christ on
Calvary:
a. "Father, forgive them" - Luke 23:34
b. "This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise" - Luke 23:42, 43
3. It is one of God's means of reconciling the world unto himself:
a. That is what Paul says - 2 Cor. 5:18-21
b. Read, also, Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:16
4. It is a memorial of our only security:
a. Against the judgment to come - Rom. 5:23-25; 8:31-38
b. Against our past sins - Rom. 8:1-3; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 2:14-16
5. It is the Christian's Magna Carta:
a. "It is finished" - John 19:30
b. "There is now no condemnation" - Rom. 8:1
c. "A ransom has been found" - Job 33:24
d. This charter clears the way for the saints to await the return of the
Lord with renewed hope -
(1) "Till He come" - 1 Cor. 11:26
(2) "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom
of God shall come" - Luke 22:18; Mark 14:25
C. THE PROPER APPROACH TO THE LORD'S SUPPER
1. Mistaken ideas:
a. "I do not feel worthy to take communion."
b. "I am not prepared to take part in communion."
c. "I do not feel right, and so long as I do not feel right it would be
wrong for me to take the Lord's supper."
2. Who is worthy to take the Lord's supper?
a. Everyone for whom the Lord died, and who accepts that sacrifice
to make him worthy. Keep the words of Paul in mind - 1 Tim. 1:15
b. Everyone who believes that the atonement made for us on the cross
by the death of Christ is sufficient to make us worthy - Rom. 8:1, 31-38
3. The right approach to the Lord's supper:
a. "Let every one examine himself."
b. "And so let him eat."
Note, please, Paul's counsel to the communicant, "examine himself" - that
means get right with God and men. Remove the things that would make you unworthy.
". . . and so let him eat . . ." - he does not say, "and so let him stay away from
communion", "and so excuse himself from obeying the command of the Lord. No! No!
He says, "and so let him eat."
c. A mistaken idea by some--they think that if they discover things in
their lives which are not right, it is better for them to stay away from the Lord's table.
d. But they must remember that the Lord's supper is a shield against
their sinful past.
e. As Israel of old, take refuge behind the banner of the blood of the
Lamb of God - Ex. 12:13
IN REMEMBRANCE AND IN HOPE
MATTHEW 26:26

A. WHEN WE READ MATTHEW 26:26-30 WE FIND TWO GREAT

MEMORIALS CELEBRATED BY OUR LORD AND HIS DISCIPLES
1. They took the Passover:
a. Commemorating ancient Israel's deliverance from Egyptian
bondage - Ex. 13:1-15
b. It was the time when God slew the first born sons of Egypt, but
spared the first born sons in Israel.
2. Our Lord instituted the new Passover, called "The Lord's Supper":
a. 1 Cor. 11:23-28
b. John 13:1-17

B. IN REMEMBRANCE AND IN HOPE

1. A Memorial:
a. Of the death of our Lord - "For as often as ye eat this bread and
drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death" - 1 Cor. 11:26
b. He died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3; Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15
c. He died for the ungodly - Rom. 5:6
d. He died for us all - 2 Cor. 5:14
 2. Looking forward in hope:
a. "Shew the Lord's death till he come" - 1 Cor. 11:26
b. Thus we see that the Lord's supper is a constant reminder to us that
Jesus is coming again - "till He come."
c. Our hope in the future centers in the second coming of Jesus
Christ, our Lord - Tit. 2:13
d. Two great events mark the second coming of Christ
(1) The first resurrection - John 5:28, 29
(2) The gift of immortality is bestowed upon those who have
part in the first resurrection - 1 Cor. 15:50-58; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; John 5:28, 29
e. That gives double meaning to the celebration of Communion by
the believers at the Lord's supper, looking backward and also forward!
3. "Do this in remembrance of me":
a. Our Lord knows how short our memory is.
b. This Communion service is to sharpen it.

C. WHO SHOULD TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER AND HOW?

1. Erroneous ideas:
a. Closed communion - there are those who hold closed communion,
reserving this memorial for those of their own persuasion.
b. Others say, "If I feel that I am ready, I take part in it, otherwise, I
will not."
2. A few thoughts that ought to change our mind:
a. All who believe that Christ died for them ought to take part in
communion.
b. No Israelite was exempted from the eating of the Passover - Ex.
13:1-30
c. Christ died for all and for that very reason we have no right to
forbid anyone who wants to take the Lord's Supper.
d. All, who claim that their sins are under the blood of Christ, are to
eat the Lord's Passover.
3. How should we come to the table of the Lord?
a. Should the officials of the church examine everyone that plans to
take the Lord's Supper?
b. Paul says, "let a man examine himself" - 1 Cor. 11:28
c. What does self-examination include? It means that I must look
into my own heart and life to see how seriously I enter into the communion and
fellowship of the suffering Christ!
d. It means that I get right with God and men before I enter this
solemn rite. This we must do to be worthy of its implication.
4. "And so let him eat":
a. The Bible does not say, "and so let him stay away from the Lord's
Supper", as many do.
b. How often have I seen people in very deep contemplation during
the sermon on the Lord's Supper and then leave the service without taking part in it.
 c. That, brethren, is wrong two ways--to the Lord and to those who
refuse the Lord's Supper. It is refusing a blessing meant for all of us.
IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR COMMUNION

A. "I MUST BY ALL MEANS KEEP THIS FEAST" - Acts 18:21

1. We shall never know in this world just why Paul had such an urge to be at
the feast of the passover:
a. He received repeated warning that severe persecution by the Jews
awaited him at Jerusalem - Acts 20:22; 21:10-13
b. But nothing could keep him from going and witnessing for Christ,
whom he loved - Acts 21:13
2. Jesus Christ, too, was most anxious to partake of the passover with His
disciples before He suffered: Luke 22:12-18

B. IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR COMMUNION

1. The Lord's Supper is a feast:
a. The ancient passover was, in a certain sense, a type of the Lord's
Supper.
b. Christ is our passover - 1 Cor. 5:7
c. Bread and wine are the emblems of His broken body and his shed
blood - Compare Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-34
2. The Lord's Supper is a royal feast in the highest sense of the word:
a. It was instituted by the King of glory - Matt. 22:1; Ps. 24:7-10
b. It is heaven's love feast - John 3:16; Gal. 2:20; John 13:1-6
c. It is the Christian family feast - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:22-29
3. The disciples of Christ must, by all means, keep that feast:
a. Because the Lord commands it - "This do in remembrance of me" -
1 Cor. 11:24
b. It is the shield of the believers against the day of judgment.
c. It is a memorial service commemorating the infinite sacrifice of the
Master.
d. They who bypass it do not realize what a blessing they miss.
e. Had they the mind of Christ, they would never absent themselves
from His memorial service.

C. WHO SHOULD PARTAKE OF THIS FEAST AND HOW?

1. This is a pertinent question:
a. Forty years in the ministry have convinced this writer that there are
many members in the church who are unaware of the true implication of this feast.
b. Everyone for whom Christ died should acknowledge His death in
his behalf at the communion table.
c. Everyone who professes to believe in the atonement made for our
sins ought to be a happy communicant.
d. All who want their sins covered by the blood of Jesus Christ
should participate in that solemn ordinance.
 e. Everyone who believes in the soon coming of our Lord will want
to take part in the ordinances of the house of the Lord.
f. Not to partake of the table of the Lord is to reject the ordinance of
God, if not in theory, in deed.
2. How should we come to the table of the Lord?
a. With complete self-examination! 1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5
b. In humble gratitude to our Lord for His infinite sacrifice for us -
Gal. 2:20
c. In the spirit of complete reconciliation with our brethren.
d. With complete separation from every known sin in our life - Rom.
6:16-18; 1 Pet. 4:1-5
e. In the hope that this service is witness to our reconsecration to
God, His word, and His cause.
f. Finally, we should come with joy and gratitude to be counted
worthy to share with the church the hope in the soon coming of Jesus Christ our Lord.
3. When these few suggestions are heeded I am confident:
a. That we, like the Master, will look forward with desire to share the
blessings of the feast.
b. By coming in this spirit we will encourage others to take part in the
feast of the Lord.

DIVINE HEALING

A. "BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL: AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME, BLESS
HIS HOLY NAME. BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS
BENEFITS: WHO FORGIVETH ALL THINE INIQUITIES; WHO HEALETH ALL
THY DISEASES." - Ps. 103:1-3
1. The Psalmist was:
a. A man of war;
b. He was a great king.
c. And He was a man of much prayer.
2. He had a constant urge in his heart to express his profound gratitude to
God for the many blessings he experienced:
a. He recognized the many benefits from the Lord.
b. And he knew that God is the great Healer of our body and our soul.

B. DIVINE HEALING IS THE BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE

1. Meaning of divine healing:
a. It is commonly understood to refer to the healing of our body.
b. A study of this subject shows that divine healing includes, also, the
restoration of the spiritual relationship between us and the Lord.
2. There is, among Christians, great confusion on this subject:
a. Many use this doctrine as a rallying point for their theories on
religion.
b. Others use it to get earthly or material gain.
c. But some ignore it, branding it as a mark of religious fanaticism.
 3. The truth about divine healing is:
a. It is a major part of the plan of redemption -
(1) Of the Redeemer it is written, "he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed." - Isa. 53:5
(2) It is the major part of his ministry - Acts 10:38
b. Read carefully Luke 4:18; 13:16
c. This ministry is one of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed upon the
believers - 1 Cor. 12:9, 28; Mark 16:18, 19

C. INCLUSIVENESS OF DIVINE HEALING

1. It is a blending of the physical and the spiritual healing:
a. That was true in the experience of the impotent man that was
brought to Christ by four men - Mark 2:1-12
b. The Spirit of Prophecy makes mention of this dual blessing.
"Desire of Ages", page 270
2. Healing of the body is evidence of the healing of the soul:
a. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
- John 8:36
b. That was true in the experience of the lame man at the gate of the
temple which is called Beautiful - Acts 3:1-9
3. It is a part of the reformatory movement:
See and read "Testimonies for the Church", Volume 9, page 126 - John
5:14
4. Physical healing is bound up with the preaching of the gospel of Jesus
Christ:
a. That is what we read in "Ministry of Healing", page 115.
b. Said Jesus to the disciples, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers" - Matt. 10:7, 8
5. Methods of healing:
a. Confusion among some exists -
(1) They attempt to limit God to their own theory as to how
they are to be healed - 2 Ki. 5:11, 12
(2) Others reject supernatural healing, claiming that medical
science is sufficient to meet the needs of the sick - Mark 5:26; Luke 8:43
b. God uses His own method to heal our bodies -
(1) Naaman had to discover this truth - 2 Ki. 5:10-14
(2) Hezekiah learned this truth also - Isa. 38:21
(3) Note what methods the Lord used - Matt. 8:1-8; Mark
10:52
c. God does use nature and the knowledge of the right use of the laws
of nature to bring healing to our bodies, but He, also, directs us to pray for the sick - Jas.
5:14-17
EATING AND DRINKING TO GOD'S GLORY
A. "WHETHER THEREFORE YE EAT, OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER YE DO,
DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD." - 1 Cor. 10:31
1. Background to this wonderful and climactic rule for Christians:
a. There was a controversy between Christians of Jewish origin and
those of the Gentiles - Compare chapters 8 and 10.
b. Paul emphasized this truth, "But meat commendeth us not to God:
for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse." - 1 Cor.
8:8
2. Our Saviour took a very similar position toward the legalistic attitude of
the Pharisees on eating and drinking: Matt. 15:1-19

B. EATING AND DRINKING TO GOD'S GLORY

1. This principle was set up in the Garden of Eden:
a. Our first parents had specific instruction from the Creator as to
what shall be theirs for food - Gen. 1:29
b. They were tested on living to the glory of God; but they listened to
the serpent and sinned against the glory of God - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6
2. To eat and drink to the glory of God implies:
a. That we eat and drink the things God has told us to eat and drink.
b. When we disregard his directive, we set ourselves against His will,
and that is sinning against the glory of God.
c. To disregard God's counsel is enmity against God - See 1 Ki.
13:21; 1 Sam. 15:23
3. Just as the Lord differentiated between the fruit of the tree of life and the
fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so the Lord differentiated between the
clean and the unclean:
a. He did that before the flood - Gen. 7:1-6
b. And He did the same to His people when He brought them out of
Egypt - Lev. 11:1-28; Deut. 14:1-18

C. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE BIBLE RECORD ON THE CLEAN

AND UNCLEAN MEATS
1. Our Lord, who created all things in the first place:
a. Took a positive stand on the swine question - Compare Mark 5:12-
17 with Luke 15:11-32.
b. It was He who said through the prophet Isaiah, "They that sanctify
themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating
swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the
Lord." - Isa. 65:1-9; 66:17
2. There are those who claim that Christ cleansed the swine, but the facts
show that the swine is as filthy as ever:
a. It is Paul who says, "touch not the unclean thing" - 2 Cor. 6:17
b. That shows that the things in nature have not changed any since
God differentiated between the clean and the unclean.
3. Objections answered:
 a. 1 Tim. 4:1-6 is quoted by the opposition to show that since Christ
died all animals are clean.
b. But when you read the context very carefully, you will note these
facts:
(1) Paul warns against the doctrines of devils, but the teaching
of the difference between the clean and the unclean has its source in God and not with the
devil.
(2) All the things that we pray over become holy and may be
eaten, but read the words of Paul again, "they are sanctified by the Word of God and
prayer". To sanctify means to set apart; true, you are at liberty to eat the things God has
set apart to be eaten.
(3) Acts 10:10-16 is appealed to, to show that since the
resurrection of Christ all things are to be eaten, but when you read the context you will
note that the vision concerned itself not with the swine but rather with bringing the gospel
to the Gentiles - Acts 10:10-28. It remains that we can eat and drink to the glory of God
only when we follow His directive; when we obey Him.
STEWARDSHIP

A. "AS EVERY MAN HATH RECEIVED THE GIFT, EVEN SO MINISTER THE
SAME TO ANOTHER, AS GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MANIFOLD GRACE OF
GOD." - 1 Pet. 4:10
1. A prayerful study of the Word of God reveals to us:
a. That all things, including ourselves, belong to God - Ps. 50:7-12
b. Said David to the Lord, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the
power, and the glory . . . Both riches and honor come of thee . . . for all things come of
thee, and of thine own have we given thee" - 1 Chron. 29:11-14
2. That being true, it follows:
a. That we are but stewards of the manifold blessings we think we
possess.
b. This makes this subject worthy of prayerful consideration by all
who have in trust the Master's goods.

B. CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP
1. Let us note, briefly, some of the implications of our subject on the
Christian stewardship:
a. Our Lord gave strong emphasis to man's stewardship -
(1) The parable of the talents - Matt. 25:14-30
(2) The story of the unjust steward - Luke 16:1-8
(3) The keepers of their Master's vineyard - Matt. 21:33-46
b. The apostles, too, emphasized faithfulness in that which has been
committed to us as stewards of the manifold grace of God - Tit. 1:2; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2
2. Stewardship and its meaning:
a. One entrusted with the care and supervision of his master's goods
is a steward -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Joseph was Potiphar's steward - Gen. 41:40
 (2) David told the Lord of our stewardship - 1 Chron. 29:11-14
b. The distribution of the pounds by the master to his servants - Luke
19:13-25
c. The spiritual gifts, divided to the believers by the Holy Spirit - 1
Cor. 12:1-28
d. The Bible instructions on tithes and offerings all show that, at best,
we are stewards of the manifold grace of God.
3. Emphasis of the purpose of our stewardship:
a. Negatively - not to be lavished upon ourselves as did Nabal - 1
Sam. 25:3-39, and as did the rich young ruler - Matt. 19:16-22
b. The divine intent is that we minister the gifts unto others - 1 Pet.
4:10 as did Cornelius - Acts 10:2, and as the Lord spoke of Abraham - Gen. 12:1-3

C. TITHES AND OFFERINGS ARE THE BIBLICAL KEYS TO TRUE AND

FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP
1. Our tithe - "all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of
the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord": Num. 27:30
a. It was so recognized by the Patriarchs - Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:1-7;
Gen. 28:22
b. Our Lord gave strong emphasis to faithfulness in and with our tithe
- Matt. 23:23; Luke 16:1-12
c. Paul, too, shows the divine design of our tithe - 1 Cor. 9:1-14
2. Our offering differs from our tithes:
a. Our tithes belong to the Lord by right - Mal. 3:8-11
b. Our offering is a gift of special gratitude toward the Lord who has
enabled us to gain material and spiritual blessings.
c. We present them to the Lord as a love gift in humble gratitude.
3. Blessings of faithfulness in our stewardship:
a. It will save us from the sin of covetousness. Compare Isa. 14:12-
14 with 1 Ki. 21:1-15; Josh. 6:17; 7:1; 2 Sam. 11:1-21
b. It will save us from dishonesty - Acts 5:1-11
c. It will make us Godlike in unselfishness; that is the aim of the
grace of God.
d. It will bring blessings to us, materially and spiritually - Mal. 3:8-11
e. Faithfulness in our stewardship will be rewarded, not only in this
world but also in the world to come - Matt. 25:31-34
f. Let us pray that we may have wisdom and grace to know how to
use the gifts of God to bring blessings to the cause of God and glory to the giver of all
good gifts - Jas. 1:17
SUPPORT OF THE GOSPEL WORKER

A. HOW DOES THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH FINANCE ITS

WORLDWIDE PROGRAM?
1. Not by church bazaars: John 2:13-20
2. Nor by any method of taxing its members: Matt. 10:4
3. Money was never a condition of church membership:
 a. The moneyless receive the same service as people who possess
means to contribute to the cause.
b. None of the members receive a bill from the pastor to cover his
wages.

B. HOW THE ADVENTIST CHURCH FINANCES ITS WORLDWIDE WORK

1. It follows God's plan in paying a tithe of the increase of the income of the
members of the church:
a. It is God's plan - Mal. 3:8-11; Matt. 23:23
b. This plan was a part of the worship of God's children, dating back
to the beginning of time -
(1) Abraham paid tithe - Gen. 14:18-20
(2) Jacob promised the Lord a tithe of his income - Gen. 28:20-
22
c. Ancient Israel was directed to pay a tithe of all their increase of the
harvest or otherwise. Compare Num. 18:21-24 with 1 Chron. 31:5; Lev. 27:30
2. We believe that God's original plan of supporting the work of the gospel
carries over into the New Testament:
a. This is indicated in Matt. 23:23
b. Also in 1 Cor. 9:7-14
c. Paul, when comparing the two Priesthoods, the Levitical and the
Melchizedek ordinances, points to the tithe - Heb. 7:1-10

C. SIGNIFICATION OF THE TITHING SYSTEM

1. It recognizes God the sovereign owner of all wealth:
a. All silver and gold are His - Hag. 2:8; 1 Chron. 29:14-16
b. We are, at best, stewards of God's property - 1 Pet. 4:10; Tit. 1:7
2. The tithe is a test to man:
a. To recognize God's ownership of all his possessions -
(1) Our first parents were tested on the recognition of God's
ownership - Gen. 2:15-17
(2) So does God test all men - Mal. 3:8, 9; Luke 16:1-12
b. To teach us a threefold lesson -
(1) Honesty toward God and man - Mal. 3:8; Luke 16:10
(2) Unselfishness - God lets us keep nine parts and He takes
one part.
(3) To break us from covetousness--one of the greatest sins.
3. The amazing love of God:
a. He requires a tithe of all our increase, but not for Himself.
b. He takes that tithe and puts it to work for our salvation! That is the
way He sends missionaries to carry the gospel story!
4. The tithe is, in fact, the livelihood of the gospel worker, who spends his
life in the service of the Lord; when we withhold the tithe, we take away the livelihood of
the minister!
5. Blessing of the tithing system:
a. A very unusual promise to the tithe payer - Mal. 3:10-12
 b. Only the faithful tithe payer knows the blessedness of giving God
His own.
CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE
1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

A. OUR TEXT SHOWS CLEARLY THAT TEMPERANCE IS A MORAL

OBLIGATION FOR ALL
1. To eat and drink to the glory of God:
a. Was a test for our first parents - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-23
b. It was a test for Daniel - Dan. 1:8
c. And it became a test for the Son of God - Matt. 4:1-4
2. Temperance is one of the qualifying virtues of a true Christian:
a. That is what Paul taught the believers -
Gal. 5:22, 23; 1 Cor. 9:25
b. And that is what Peter taught the people - 1 Pet. 1:5-9
3. There will be no place in God's kingdom for intemperance: Gal. 5:19-22;
1 Cor. 6:9, 10

B. WHY ALL SELF-RESPECTING CITIZENS MUST FIGHT THE CURRENT

LIQUOR TRAFFIC
1. Alcoholic beverages are harmful to body, mind and spirit:
a. Bible warning - Prov. 23:33
b. People before the flood were victims of this defiling traffic - Luke
17:26
c. It led to Noah's shame - Gen. 9:20, 21
d. Lot was affected by this same vice - Gen. 19:30, 31
e. It has destroyed marriages, homes, and untold lives.
f. The liquor traffic has been the curse that plagues the nations and
digs untold graves for its victims.
g. How many heartbroken persons have told me what drinking did to
them and their loved ones; how their health was undermined and their lives shortened.
h. Much of the lawlessness and the slaughter on the public highways
is due to someone drunk and driving on the highways.

C. WHY WE AS A PEOPLE SHOULD BE FOREMOST AMONG THOSE WHO

ADVOCATE TEMPERANCE
1. We are told that health reform is the right arm of the message:
a. Health of body, soul, and spirit are the great objectives of this
movement.
b. We believe it to be our God-given duty to educate the public on the
harm of hard liquor.
2. Modern liquor is invading the sacred confines of marriage and the home
and happiness of the people:
a. Many broken marriages are the result of drinking.
b. Drinking stalks the highways, endangers driving in public.
3. Our appeal to the public is:
 a. To remember that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit - 1
Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20
b. We are held accountable for what we do to our body, soul, and
spirit - 2 Cor. 5:10
c. When we become victims of liquor we endanger the lives of those
with whom we come into contact.
4. Finally, we know that public safety is involved:
a. Intoxicated drivers are the real deadly enemies to the American
traveling public.
b. We must do our best to educate the people on the harm of the
liquor traffic.
c. It is shocking to note the ever increasing tax burdens that are put
upon the public simply because of increasing crime wave that is the result of heavy
drinking.
5. Let me repeat that we ought to be foremost in seeking to combat the liquor
traffic through the educational processes:
a. Work together with other temperance organizations.
b. By practicing temperance in our own lives and so show that it
works well for all who seek to follow it.
c. Then we must keep informed on current events which show the
increased tempo of drinking.
THE CHURCH

A. TERMINOLOGY
1. The Greek word is "Ekklesia" and signifies those who are called out,
separated: 1 Pet. 2:9-11; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 3:1
2. Different names of the church:
a. Sheepfold - John 10:16
b. Vineyard - Isa. 5:1-16; Matt. 21:33-41
c. House of God - 1 Tim. 3:15
d. A temple - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20
e. A royal priesthood - 1 Pet. 2:9-11
f. Assembly - Jas. 2:2; Ps. 111:1
g. Church of God - Acts 20:28
h. Church of Christ - Rom. 16:16
i. Church in the wilderness - Acts 7:38
j. A woman - 2 Cor. 11:2
k. The bride of the Lamb - Rev. 19:7, 8; 22:17; John 3:27, 28

B. WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH OF GOD WE ARE CALLED

1. Unto liberty: Gal. 5:13; Matt. 1:21; John 3:35-37
2. To be saints: Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet.
2:9-14
3. Into the fellowship of Jesus Christ: 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 John 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:11-
15; Phil. 3:10; Eph. 3:9
4. To evangelize the world:
 a. Our commission - Matt. 28:18-20
b. Our message - Rom. 1:16, 17; 1 Cor. 1:23; Rev. 14:6-12
c. We are to preach Present Truth - 2 Pet. 1:12; Rev. 14:6-12
5. When you think of the church:
a. You mean the mystical body of Christ - Eph. 1:18-22; 5:26-28
b. The object of heaven's love and the target of Satan and his tools -
Rev. 12:17; Eph. 5:24-27
c. It is the population of the new earth in miniature.
d. To show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Acts 26:18
e. To an inheritance eternal which fadeth not away - Heb. 9:15;
11:14-18; 2 Pet. 3:13

C. THE BIBLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT

1. The church is the object of God's love and eternal vigilance: Deut. 32:10;
Zech. 2:8; Acts 20:28; 2 Cor. 11:28
2. This is a wonderful truth to know as we face the difficulties that lie ahead
of the church of God:
3. Christ paid an infinite price when he bought the church with His own
blood: Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33
4. The members of the church are made up of imperfect persons; yet, the
Lord is at work among His people; He will cleanse the church and make it perfect: Eph.
5:24-27; 1 Cor. 4:9
5. But we must not forget that:
a. The church is also the object of the devil's wrath - Rev. 12:17; 1
Pet. 4:8
b. He seeks to weaken the church by infiltration - with false doctrines
and other devices which will immoralize the church - 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Acts 20:14-28
c. He uses nations to take away the liberty of God's people.
d. He weakens the church through the carelessness of its members - 2
Tim. 3:1-7
e. He seeks to occupy our talents and means with the cares of life -
Luke 21:34-36
6. It is encouraging, however, to know that the church militant will in the end
become the church triumphant:
a. That is the promise of the Head of the church - Matt. 16:18
b. That is clear from the reading of the book of Revelation - Rev.
19:7, 8; Eph. 5:24-27
THE CHURCH, GOD'S PECULIAR TREASURE

A. "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." - Mal. 3:17
1. This text offers to us added incentives for wanting to be members of the
church of God, God's peculiar treasure:
 a. God claims the church and its members as His own - "they shall be
mine".
b. He thinks of the members of the church as His most precious
possession - "my jewels".
2. A peculiar treasure:
a. That which is stored away for special occasions to put on display is
considered a treasure - Luke 12:23; Jas. 5:3
b. What we hold of special value to us and upon which we bestow
much love and labor is held in the highest esteem - Matt. 13:46; 1 Chron. 29:3
c. That is true of material things and also of heavenly treasures - Isa.
39:2; Matt. 6:21

B. THE CHURCH, GOD'S PECULIAR TREASURE

1. God's reasons for looking upon the church as His peculiar treasure:
a. He ransomed it at an infinite price - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33; Jer.
31:11; Matt. 20:28
b. He actually bought the church with His own blood - Acts 20:28; 1
Cor. 6:20
c. He loves the church with an everlasting love - Jer. 31:3
d. He bestows much sacrificial labor upon the church - Eph. 5:24-27
2. It is wonderful to be included in God's peculiar treasure:
a. Think of the words of Peter - 1 Pet. 2:9-11
b. It places a great responsibility upon the members of the church - 1
Pet. 2:9-11; 1 Tim. 3:15

C. WHO QUALIFIES FOR GOD'S PECULIAR TREASURE?

1. The Bible shows that persons of sterling character are held in high esteem
by the Lord:
a. Abraham is called "the friend of God" - 2 Chron. 20:7; Jas. 2:23
b. Enoch was translated that he should not see death - Gen. 5:22-25;
Heb. 11:5
c. Daniel was greatly loved by God - Dan. 10:11
d. Paul was a chosen vessel - Acts 9:15
2. Anyone can be among God's peculiar treasures:
a. God is not a respecter of persons - "Whosoever will" - Rev. 22:17;
Acts 10:34
EXAMPLES -
(1) Ruth the Moabitess - Ruth 1:16-17
(2) Rahab the harlot - Ps. 87:4
3. What makes the redeemed God's peculiar treasure?
a. Essence of rightful ownership - John 17:8-11. Our loving Saviour
feels that all for whom He died are his precious own - "they are mine."
b. The fact of purchase is still another experience which endears us to
the Lord - 1 Cor. 3:19, 20
c. The sense of miraculous achievement is still another reason for
attachment. "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem
of beauty, unto the residue of his people." - Isa. 28:5. "Thou shalt also be a crown of
glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." - Isa. 62:3
4. Think, dear reader, of God's estimate of His people! The restoration of the
image of God in our lives - Rom. 8:29; the loyalty and sacrifice of God's children are all
contributory factors to our standing before God: Rev. 3:7-11
MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH

A. GOD HAS A VISIBLE AND WELL ORGANIZED BODY OF CHRISTIAN

BELIEVERS IN THIS WORLD
1. Our Lord speaks of the sheepfold: John 10:15, 16
2. It has authority to discipline its members; that could not be unless it was
fully organized: Matt. 18:15-18; 2 Thess. 3:14
3. It carries a worldwide, missionary program based upon a well-organized
program: Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 10:15-17; Acts 15:22-30

B. MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH

1. Negatively:
a. It cannot be identified by numbers - Matt. 7:13, 14
b. God's people have always been in the minority - Deut. 7:7; Luke
12:32; Zech. 9:16
2. Positively:
a. It carries out the gospel commission and lives up to its provision -
Matt. 28:18-20; John 3:34
b. Keeps God's commandments, including the fourth - Ex. 20:3-17;
Matt. 5:17-19; Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 1 John 2:4-7
c. It preaches the gospel of restoration, including the restoration of
the creation Sabbath - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 58:1, 12-14; Acts 15:16-18; Isa. 56:1-7
d. It proclaims the Three Angels' Message - Rev. 14:6-12. That is
Present Truth - 2 Pet. 1:12
e. Present Truth includes the message of the Judgment Hour; the
announcement of the fall of Babylon; and a worldwide warning against the beast, his
image, and the number of his name.
f. This portion of the message sets the Seventh-day Adventist
Movement apart as the true church of God. It is called by the following marks of
distinction -
(1) A remnant - Rev. 12:17
(2) "They that keep the commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus" - Rev. 14:12
g. It is here in answer of Bible prophecy -
(1) That was true of the Reformation to begin with - Acts 3:19-
21; 15:16
(2) That is true of the Sabbath Reform Message - Isa. 56:1-7;
58:1, 12-14
(3) God's church will ever be known by the proclamation of a
chain of prophetic truths as outlined in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation -
Compare Dan. 2; 7; 8 with Rev. 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 18
C. WE MUST EVER KEEP IN MIND
1. That God's people are different, peculiar; it is because the message makes
them peculiar: Tit. 2:14; Rom. 12:1-3
2. They are not, however, fanatical, but are guided by moderation in their
daily life:
Phil. 4:8; their lives are ordered in the light of the seriousness of the time
we live in, the judgment hour - Rom. 13:11-14; Eph. 5:17, 18; Rev. 14:6-8
3. Imperfections still are found among God's remnant people: Rev. 3:14-20;
it should be noted, however, that God does not find fault with His remnant people in what
they teach, but rather with their lukewarm condition.
4. It is encouraging to know that God will continue the work of sanctification
among His people until they will have reached the ideal He has set for them: Eph. 5:25-
27; Rev. 14:5, 6; 19:7, 8
5. A very important mark of the true church is:
a. That it believes and teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible
are the only infallible rule of our faith and practice - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Luke 24:25-28
b. That Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation, past, present, and
future. To Him point the sixty-six books of the Bible - John 5:39, 46-48
c. That salvation is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord -
Acts 4:12
THE CHURCH AND THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

A. A PRAYERFUL STUDY OF THE BIBLE WILL BRING TO LIGHT THAT

THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THE KEYS
OF THE KINGDOM
1. Rome claims that the keys of the kingdom belong to the Pope:
2. Appeal is made to Matthew: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven" - Matt. 16:18, 19
3. When we compare Matt. 16:18, 19 with John 20:23, we learn that the
same powers were bestowed upon all the apostles: We conclude, therefore, that the Lord
has bestowed upon His church the powers to loosen and to bind persons.

B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM

1. Bible use of "the keys":
a. A key, as used in relationship to the kingdom of God, is a symbol
of power - Rev. 3:7; 9:1; 20:1-5
b. It symbolizes knowledge of the kingdom - Luke 11:53; Matt.
19:11; Luke 12:48; John 3:27; 19:11; Mark 4:11
2. Upon the knowledge of this truth rests the hope of eternal life: John 17:1-
3
a. The fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God opens heaven and
binds every believer to God and His promises - Rom. 8:31-33; John 10:1-9; 17:1-26
b. Paul, that great preacher, placed all past, present, and the future
upon knowing the Lord Jesus Christ - Phil. 3:10
 c. Knowledge, based upon the Word of God, is power, the power or
keys of the kingdom -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Stephen had this power - Acts 6:7
(2) Paul had the same power - Acts 9:22
(3) Apollos had this power - Acts 18:24
d. The binding and the loosening power rest in the Word of God and
not in flesh - Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29
e. Authority to preach the Word constitutes the keys of the kingdom -
Matt. 10:1-18

C. WE NOTE FURTHER
1. That God never intended to vest the powers of the kingdom in the flesh:
a. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
the Spirit is Spirit." - John 3:6
b. "All flesh is as green grass" - Isa. 40:5, 6; 1 Pet. 1:24
c. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" - 1 Cor.
15:50
d. That one human being should lord it over another - Matt. 10:42;
Luke 22:25; 1 Pet. 5:3
2. It is wonderful to know:
a. That the keys of the kingdom come from the knowledge of the
Word of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 4:12
b. That men are in possession of the keys of the kingdom so long as
they abide by the plain Word of God - 2 John 9
c. The binding and the loosening powers of the kingdom are a part of
the Gospel Commission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Matt. 28:18-20; Rom.
1:16; Gal. 1:8, 9
d. To the penitent sinner the Word offers complete freedom from the
power of sin - John 8:31-36; Acts 26:18; Isa. 61:1
e. But to the hardened sinner, the Word of God spells eternal doom -
Matt. 25:31-39; 2 Thess. 1:7-9
3. The keys of the kingdom belong, in a real sense, to all God's children:
a. They constitute the royal priesthood to bring blessings to all the
world - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Rom. 7:7; Matt. 7:13
b. They are a savor of life unto life, and a savor of death unto death -
2 Cor. 2:14-16
c. They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world - Matt.
5:13-16
d. It is wonderful to be entrusted with the keys of the kingdom; let us
use them wisely and to the glory of God as well as the saving of souls.
THE CHURCH AND SALVATION

A. MUST A PERSON BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH TO BE A CHRISTIAN

OR TO BE SAVED?
1. An ever present question during forty years of public evangelism:
 2. Many people have an apathy toward the church. To them the church is
just another human organization which, at times, exists for exploitation:
3. There are some thought provoking reasons for a hostile attitude by some
toward the church:
a. Carelessness of some professed members of the church - their light
has gone out.
b. Lack of correct information about the church is still another reason
for the opposition of some people to the church.

B. MUST A PERSON BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH TO BE A CHRISTIAN

OR TO BE SAVED? THE BIBLE HAS THE CORRECT ANSWER
1. The book of Acts gives us some very enlightening information on our
relationship to the church:
a. In Acts 2:47 we read, "And the Lord added to the church daily
such as should be saved."
b. If we had no other information on the subject before us, this text
would be sufficient to answer our question in the affirmative.
c. God would not add people to the church to be saved if He had
another way to save them! John 10:1-7
d. The big reason for being added to the church is to be added unto
the Lord - Acts 5:14. So to be added to the church is the same as being added to the
Lord.
2. Christ and the church:
a. His attitude toward the church -
(1) He loves the church - Eph. 5:25
b. He gave himself for it - Eph. 5:25
(1) He says, "I am married unto you" - Jer. 3:14; Rev. 19:7, 8;
1 Cor. 11:1-4
c. He is the builder of the church - Matt. 16:18
d. He is the Head of the church - Eph. 1:22; 4:15

C. PLACE OF THE CHURCH IN THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION

1. This is a very important point in the consideration of our subject:
a. The church is God's way of sheltering His people against the
enemies of the church.
b. Christ speaks of it as "a sheepfold" - John 10:15, 16
c. The church is God's depository of His truth - 1 Tim. 3:15; Rom.
1:16; 2 Tim. 3:15-17
d. Paul calls the church, "the pillar and ground of truth" - 1 Tim. 3:15
2. The importance of the church is indicated further by:
a. The gospel ordinances pointing into the church -
(1) Baptism - 1 Cor. 12:13
(2) Feetwashing - John 13:1-17
(3) The Lord's Supper - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:22-28
(4) Prayer for the sick - Jas. 5:14-16
 b. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are in the church - 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph.
4:11-18
c. Paul compares the church and its members to the human body,
which is a very important truth to consider - 1 Cor. 12:17-25; Eph. 4:16
3. Must a person be a member of the church to be a Christian or to be saved?
a. God says "yes" - Acts 2:46, 47
b. Christ says "Must" - John 10:15, 16
4. Christ is the Head of the church; how then could we be connected with
Christ and not with His mystical body?
5. The church of God has been entrusted with the gospel of Jesus Christ to
save our souls; how then can we accept the gospel and yet refuse to be members of the
church?
6. What would our lives be like or what would the world be like if it were not
for the church of God?
7. It is an honor to be a member of the church, the finest group of people in
this sinful world.
THE CHURCH MILITANT

A. "AND I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN THEE AND THE WOMAN, AND
BETWEEN THY SEED AND HER SEED; IT SHALL BRUISE THY HEAD AND
THOU SHALT BRUISE HIS HEAL." - Gen. 3:15
1. With these prophetic words:
a. The Lord declares the continuation of the war begun by Lucifer in
heaven - Rev. 12:7, 8
b. Bible prophecy shows that this war between light and darkness,
between Christ and Satan, will reach its climax shortly before the second coming of Jesus
Christ - Compare Dan. 12:1 with Rev. 12:17
2. The woman of our opening text symbolizes the church of God: 2 Cor.
11:1-3
3. This woman, the church of God militant, is viewed in Rev. 12:

B. THE CHURCH OF GOD WILL BE MILITANT SO LONG AS SATAN AND

HIS AGENTS SEEK TO DESTROY THE CHURCH
1. The Bible pictures the church:
a. As an army arrayed in armor with banners - Song of Solomon 6:4,
10
b. Every member of the church is a soldier of Jesus Christ - 2 Tim.
2:3, 4
2. Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, is the mighty, undefeated Captain of
the host of God:
a. It was He who appeared to Joshua - Josh. 5:13-15
b. He, the Bible says, is mighty in battle - Ps. 24:8
c. He defeated Lucifer in heaven - Rev. 12:7, 8; and He defeated him
in the days of his flesh - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-11
3. The church of the living God is engaged in a life and death struggle with
the forces of darkness:
 a. That has been true in all ages.
b. It will be true in the closing days of earth's sorrowful history.
c. Satan, knowing that he has lost the conflict, will declare war
against God's remnant people - Rev. 12:17
d. When that takes place, the scene seen by Daniel will be fulfilled -
Dan. 12:1

C. NATURE AND OUTCOME OF THE CONFLICT OF THE CHURCH OF GOD

1. Nature of the conflict:
a. The battle of the church is directed against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places - Eph. 6:12
b. It is directed against false systems of doctrines which fill the very
atmosphere.
c. Writes Paul: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after
the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to
the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Cor. 10:3-5
2. The weapons of the church are, as Paul says, not carnal, but spiritual:
3. The armor of the saints consists of:
a. Truth
b. The gospel of peace
c. The shield of faith
d. The helmet of salvation
e. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God - Heb. 4:12;
Eph. 6:14-18
f. That is the weapon the Lord used to defeat Satan - Matt. 4:1-11;
Luke 4:1-9
4. Let us take a closer look at the church militant:
a. Are its members wide awake and ready to give battle to the enemy
of our soul? Rom. 13:11-14
b. Or are God's people, by and large, entangled in the cares of this life
to a point of indifference to the great conflict that is near at hand - Rev. 3:14-17
c. Will many of us fall victims to our own negligence and
indifference?
d. Or shall we heed the admonition in Isa. 6:1, 2, "Arise, shine; for
thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness
shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people."
THE CHURCH OF GOD TRIUMPHANT

A. "WHO IS SHE THAT LOOKETH FORTH AS THE MORNING, FAIR AS THE

MOON, CLEAR AS THE SUN, AND TERRIBLE AS AN ARMY WITH BANNERS?"
1. Solomon, one of the wisest persons ever living, was, at times, under the
influence of the Holy Spirit:
a. To portray great truths, think of the many proverbs he wrote!
 b. He had great knowledge of the ways of men and of nature itself.
c. He knew the power of a well-trained, disciplined, and a well-
directed army.
2. Our text makes a comparison between a well-disciplined army and the
church of God:
a. "Fair as the morning"
b. "Clear as the sun"
c. "Terrible as an army with banners"

B. NATURE AND MOVEMENT OF

1. The appearance of the morning:
a. Scientists tell us that the breaking forth of the morning is caused by
the rays of the sun.
b. Small particles of dust reflect the light of the sun.
c. The clearer the sky, the brighter is the appearance of the morning.
2. Fair as the moon:
a. The moon was to rule the night - Gen. 1:16
b. The moonlight lights the pathway of night travelers and influences
the seas as well as the plant life.
3. Clear as the sun:
a. The light of the sun covers the planet Earth.
b. It creates energy in the atmosphere and warms the plant life, all
animal life, as well as mankind.
c. Its light is so powerful that if it were concentrated upon a given
area it would dissolve every other element.
4. An army with banners:
a. Well-trained and disciplined, and well equipped for battle.
b. A force to be reckoned with in battle.
c. It is an army that goes forth to conquer.

C. SO IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD

1. It breaks forth like the morning;
a. The light of the gospel of Christ is reflected in the lives of its
members - Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15
b. It is the light of the morning star that shines so brightly - 2 Pet.
1:19
2. Fair as the moon:
a. The moon borrows its light from the sun; so the church of God
receives its light from Jesus Christ, the light of the world - John 1:4, 5; 8:12
3. Clear as the sun:
a. Christ is the Sun of Righteousness which lighteth the life of all
men; it has healing power - Mal. 4:2
b. The church of God is the bearer of this heavenly light - Isa. 60:1;
Matt. 5:14-16
4. Like an army with banners:
 a. Under the leadership of Jesus Christ, the mighty Captain - Josh.
5:14; Heb. 2:10
b. Equipping the saints with the armor of God - Eph. 6:11-17
c. Going forth to conquer - Rev. 6:2
d. Its banners: "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" - Jer. 23:6
e. But the thought of an army going into battle is indicative of -
(1) Warfare, conflict, sacrifice - Rev. 12:17; Dan. 12:1
(2) Of enemies that seek to destroy God's people - 1 Pet. 4:8;
Rev. 12:17
(3) But victory for God's people is assured - 1 Cor. 15:58; 2
Cor. 4:4-8
THE CHURCH BUILT UPON PETER

A. CLAIMS OF ROME
1. The "divine" succession of the Popes:
2. Peter "the rock" upon which Christ built His church: Matt. 16:18
3. The Pope, the "chief Shepherd" of the faithful:

B. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE ROCK UPON WHICH THE
CHURCH IS FOUNDED
1. Christ, and Christ alone, is the Rock upon which the church of the living
God is built:
a. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Christ Jesus." - 1 Cor. 3:11
b. "Ascribe ye greatness unto our God, He is the Rock." - Deut. 32:3,
4
c. Some professed Christians esteem our Rock lightly - Deut. 32:15-
18
2. David declares, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
The God of my rock; in him will I trust . . . my tower, and my refuge, my Saviour": 2
Sam. 22:3, 4
a. He could speak from experience because he was a man of war, and
also because Saul sought to destroy him.
b. That is true also of the church of God; Satan has sought to destroy
it, but in vain - Matt. 16:18, 19
3. We have our Lord's own testimony:
a. He is the chief cornerstone, rejected by the builders - Matt. 21:42
b. His words find confirmation in Ps. 118:2, "The stone which the
builders refused is become the head stone of the corner."
4. The apostles confirm our Lord's testimony:
a. Paul refers us to this stone - 1 Cor. 3:11, 12; 10:4
b. Peter, too, speaks about the chief cornerstone - 1 Pet. 2:9-11
c. The Bible, as a unit, speaks of Christ as the Rock of the ages upon
whom alone the church of the living God rests its hope.
C. THE CLAIMS OF ROME, THAT PETER IS THE ROCK UPON WHICH
CHRIST BUILT HIS CHURCH, ARE NOT TRUE
1. Peter was not the first Pope at all:
a. Titles claimed by the Popes are forbidden by our Lord - Matt.
23:8-12; 2 Thess. 2:6-8
b. Authority claimed by the Popes was rejected by Peter - 1 Pet. 5:1-4
c. James, and not Peter, presided at the first General Conference -
Acts 15:13-19
2. Plain Bible warnings against building upon human beings:
a. Said the Psalmist, "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men
of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity."
Ps. 62:9
b. The prophet Jeremiah utters the same strong words against placing
our trust in man - Jer. 17:5, 6
c. When it comes to real need, there is no help in man - Ps. 146:3, 4
3. Making men the foundation of religious systems has been the curse of the
ages:
a. Moses and the Jews! The Jews rejected the Son of God, claiming
that Moses was their guide - John 8:33-44; 9:28
b. Buddha and Buddhism is still another example of the curse of
man's trusting in flesh.
c. The world is full of "isms" which enslave it because men will
blindly follow them - Jer. 3:12-14
4. Peter's defects, exposed by Paul, should be conclusive evidence against
the claims of Rome:
a. He did not stand the test at our Lord's trial - Mark 14:66
b. Even after the Pentecostal experience, Peter showed some real
weakness - Gal. 2:11-14
THE CHURCH HAS ONE FOUNDATION

A. A FOUNDATION
1. That upon which something rests: Isa. 14:32; 28:16
2. Christ is the only foundation of the church:
a. He is the foundation of the gospel - Rom. 1:16; Acts 4:12; Col.
1:27
b. He is the only foundation of the church - Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:11;
1 Pet. 2:8-11; 1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 1:3

B. THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTER OF THIS FOUNDATION

1. It is distinguished for its strength:
a. This factor is of prime importance in the construction of a building
- Matt. 7:24-27
b. If the foundation is weak, the safety of the building is endangered -
Ps. 11:3; 82:5
c. Christ is a strong tower to all who place their hope in Him - Ps.
20:1; Prov. 18:10
 d. His word is strong - Matt. 24:35
e. His character is strong - Heb. 13:8
f. His power is unlimited - Matt. 28:18; Isa. 9:6
2. For suitability:
a. Acceptable to the Father - Matt. 3:17; 17:5
b. His sacrifice is sufficient to save to the uttermost - Heb. 2:14-17;
Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26
3. For its perpetuity:
a. It is not affected by the change of time - Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8
b. It is always the same - Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 6:18-20
c. It has been wisely chosen and laid by our heavenly Father, who
does all things well. It simply is wonderful to build upon that foundation "for other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" our Lord - 1 Cor. 3:11

C. THE FOLLY AND IMPIETY TO LAY ANOTHER FOUNDATION

1. When we build upon the dictate of our unsanctified and uninformed
conscience:
a. "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." - Prov. 28:26
b. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof
are the ways of death." - Prov. 16:25
2. By relying upon our own goodness:
a. Think of the Pharisees - Luke 18:10-12
b. Consider the false assertion by some misguided Christians - Matt.
7:22; Rev. 3:14-16
3. Let us keep in mind the sufficiency of the foundation laid by the wise
Master Builder:
a. He is able to save to the uttermost - Heb. 7:22-27
EXAMPLES -
(1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44
(2) The woman of Samaria - John 4:1-29
(3) The woman caught in adultery - John 8:1-12
b. Let us consider Paul's testimony - 1 Tim. 1:15
4. This foundation was laid by God the Father and is for that reason
sufficient to give the building of our faith eternal security:
a. That is what the Bible says - Isa. 28:16
b. That is what our blessed Lord said - Matt. 16:18
c. That is what the Spirit of God says - Rev. 22:17
5. Let us be careful how we build upon that foundation as members of the
church of God:
a. Let us build in deeds and not in words only - Matt. 7:26-29; Jas.
1:22, 23
b. Let us heed the words of Paul in 1 Cor. 3:11-15
c. A life that is built upon the Word of God cannot be overthrown by
any power set against it - Rom. 8:31-33
d. We have many examples in the Bible that show how dependable
the Word of God is, and how enduring the faith is of all who build upon God's Word.
THE KEY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID
ISAIAH 22:22

A. "AND THE KEY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID WILL I LAY UPON HIS
SHOULDER; SO HE SHALL OPEN, AND NONE SHALL SHUT; AND HE SHALL
SHUT, AND NONE SHALL OPEN."
1. These prophetic promises apply to Eliakin, the son of Hilkiah, mentioned
in 2 Ki. 18:18:
2. But the above prophecy has a broader application -- it has reference to the
Son of David, according to the flesh:

B. IN CONSIDERING THE WORDS OF OUR OPENING TEXT IN ITS

BROADER SIGNIFICATION, I LIKE TO THINK OF
1. The house of David signifying the church of the living God:
a. Christ is called the Son of David - Matt. 21:9, 15; 22:42
b. He is, according to the flesh, the seed of David - John 7:42; Luke
20:41; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8
c. He will sit on the throne of David - Luke 1:32
2. Prophetic utterances seem to indicate that the house of David and the
church of God are synonymous:
a. The opening of a foundation against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1
b. The pouring out of the Spirit of grace upon the house of David -
Zech. 12:10
c. Raise up an horn of salvation to the house of David - Luke 1:68-70
3. Purpose of a house:
a. It is a shelter against enemies of God's children - John 10:15, 16
b. A depository of the spiritual gifts - 1 Tim. 3:15; Mal. 3:8
c. Center of spiritual fellowship - 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3; Heb.
10:22-28
d. Residence of the Godhead - Jer. 51:1; Rev. 1:13

C. THE KEY TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID OR THE CHURCH

1. Christ holds that key:
a. He is the head of the church - Eph. 1:21; 4:15; Col. 1:18
b. He is the Saviour of his body--the church - Eph. 5:23
c. He bought the church with his own blood - Acts 20:28
2. The key to the house of David symbolizes power and authority over the
church of God:
a. Christ has the keys to the kingdom of God - John 14:6
b. He is the way, the life, and the truth - John 14:6
3. He holds the key to the heart and the life of his children. 1 Cor. 6:19
4. He is the door to the church of God: John 10:1-16
5. He holds the key to life and immortality: John 6:53-57; 1 John 5:10-12
6. He has now the key to the grave to set its captives free whenever he will:
John 11:25-44
 7. How wonderful it is to know that our blessed Lord holds the key to our
relationship to our heavenly Father; and that when He opens the door of mercy no man
can shut it!
CHURCH STANDARDS

A. "GO THROUGH, GO THROUGH THE GATES; PREPARE YE THE WAY OF

THE PEOPLE; CAST UP, CAST UP THE HIGH WAY; GATHER OUT THE
STONES; LIFT UP A STANDARD FOR THE PEOPLE." - Isa. 62:10
1. This admonition, to lift up the standard for the people, indicates plainly:
a. That the standard has been lowered, or cast down.
b. There would be no need to set up a standard, if it were still in its
place.
2. This text indicates further:
a. That the church of God must raise up the standard for the people to
rally to in time of danger.
b. The flag or banner of an army is a must to hold up in time of battle.
c. To keep the enemy from taking the flag, strong men are given
charge to protect it by all means.
d. The absence of the banner creates chaos and confusion.

B. OUR TEXT MAKES IT CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THE CHURCH MUST

HOLD HIGH THE STANDARD IT PROFESSES TO BELIEVE
1. "Lift up a standard for the people":
a. A standard is a rule to guide the believers in thought, word, and
action.
b. Paul indicates his concept of the standards of the church in his
Epistle to the Philippians - Phil. 4:8
c. It is a rule of faith which is the common denominator for our
conduct.
2. The Bible and the Bible only is the God provided standard to guide our
lives:
a. That includes the sixty-six books of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17
b. It includes the Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 19:16-20;
Eccl. 12:13, 14
c. Our Lord appealed to the scriptures and the Ten Commandments
for the affirmation of his doctrine - John 5:39, 46, 47; Luke 12:25, 26; Matt. 19:16-24;
22:34-38
d. That is the standard of the Seventh-day Adventists - Isa. 8:20; Rev.
12:17; 14:12
e. This Bible standard has been set aside by the nominal Christian
world; it was substituted with the doctrines and commandments of men - 2 Tim. 4:1-6;
Mark 7:7-13; Isa. 29:13
f. The very object of the Reformation is -
(1) To restore the old landmarks of truths to God's people -
Acts 3:19-21; 15:17, 18
 (2) The Sabbath is one of these old landmarks to be restored to
God's people - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14

C. "LIFT UP THE STANDARD"

1. This is a call for prayerful self-examination by God's people, the church:
a. To search our hearts and lives to determine whether we are
standing in the faith once delivered to the saints - 2 Cor. 13:5
b. Have we lowered the standard in our every day life, at home, and
in our business transactions? Does the world still recognize us as a peculiar people? Tit.
2:9-14
c. Do we still hold to the distinctive truths that have made us a
peculiar people in this world? Ex. 19:5; Tit. 2:11-14
2. "Lift up the standard": That invites us to search our hearts with much
prayer and sincerity.
a. That begins in my own heart and in my own home - Job. 1:1-3;
Josh. 24:15
b. It has its roots in family worship - Jer. 10:25; Josh. 24:15
c. It finds the source of its strength in the daily study of the Bible -
Acts 17:11-14; John 5:39; Matt. 22:29
d. It expresses itself in Christian modesty - Phil. 4:5
e. Holding up the standard of truth does not mean that one must be
fanatical or an extremist, no! But rather to live the truths we preach to others.
f. Let our light shine so that men may see our good works and glorify
our Father in heaven.
"EXCEPT THESE ABIDE IN THE SHIP YE CANNOT BE SAVED"
ACTS 27:30, 31

A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT

1. Paul's voyage to Rome was beset with many dangers:
2. Attempts of the shipmen to abandon the ship to the raging seas caused
Paul to warn the captain against such a risk: Acts 27:30, 31

B. THE BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE

1. Humanity finds itself in mortal danger:
a. Nations are being shaken by internal unrest - Luke 21:25, 26
b. The development of the H-Bomb and other weapons of
annihilation make our present age a nightmare.
c. Morality in society is at the lowest of this corrupt age - 2 Tim. 3:1-
9
2. The church of the living God is the only lifeboat seaworthy:
a. The devil knows this; that is why he is making war against God's
people - Rev. 12:12, 17; 1 Pet. 5:8, 9
b. Do we realize that the church is, as Noah's ark was, God's place of
refuge for His people? John 10:15, 16
c. The church is to us what the cities of refuge were to ancient Israel -
Compare Num. 35:3, 15 with Josh. 20:7, 8
 d. Think dear reader, what happens to the misguided souls that leave
the sheepfold as Judas did - John 13:30; Matt. 27:1-5
3. The importance of the church is illustrated in a number of our Lord's
parables:
a. The parable of the prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32
b. The lost coin - verses 8, 9
c. The vineyard - Matt. 21:33-43
d. A watered garden - Isa. 58:11
4. Too many people do not realize that the church of God is, as it were, the
apple of the eye of the Lord: Deut. 32:10; Zech. 2:8; Lam. 2:18

C. COMPELLING REASONS FOR STAYING IN THE CHURCH

1. God, in Christ, is the author of the church; He is its builder: Matt. 16:18;
Heb. 12:2; Matt. 21:33-43
2. Christ bought the church with His own blood: Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20
3. Christ, according to Paul, is the Head of the church, His body: Col. 1:18;
2:19; Eph. 1:22; 4:15
4. It is utterly impossible for one to be connected with Christ and yet not be a
member of His body, the church: Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:1-28
5. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are in, and not outside, of the church: 1 Cor.
12:1-28; Eph. 4:11-16
6. All the gospel ordinances point into the church:
a. Water baptism - 1 Cor. 12:13
b. Feetwashing - John 13:1-17
c. The Lord's Supper - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:23-28
d. Prayer for the sick - Jas. 5:15, 16
7. When Christ comes, He comes to receive the bride of the Lamb, the
church: Rev. 19:7, 8; Heb. 12:22-28
8. That being true, what will happen to the people that leave the church?
Matt. 25:31-43
9. All heaven is interested in the church, and the inhabitants will have a big
welcome reception for the redeemed: Ps. 24:1-10
10. Friends of mine, if you are tempted to leave the church of the living God, please
stop and think! Did the prodigal son benefit by leaving his father's house? Luke 15:11-
32; did Judas gain anything when he left the small group of followers of our Lord?

What can you gain if you stay in the house of the church, the temple of God?

It is a wonderful privilege to be associated with a group of people that are bound for the
kingdom of God.
UNUSUAL ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH

A. "FOR MANY WALK, OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD OFTEN, AND NOW TELL
YOU EVEN WEEPING, THAT THEY ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF
CHRIST." - Phil. 3:18
 1. These words, dear friends, contain facts worthy of our prayerful
consideration:
a. Paul wrote while he wept.
b. There were times in his ministry when he was excited, but we have
no record that he wept during such incidents.
2. That great preacher, who possessed unusual powers to recognize the
deadly dangers facing the church of God:
a. Saw that Satan has succeeded to leaven the church with sinful
characters, enemies of the cross of Christ.
b. He knew of the harm those enemies would do to the cause of truth.
c. It is this knowledge that causes him to weep - 2 Cor. 11:28

B. UNUSUAL ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH

1. We know from history and from the study of Bible prophecy:
a. That the church of God has, like its Head, enemies - Gen. 3:15;
Rev. 12:17
b. It began in the home - Gen. 4:8
c. Such murders were common among God's people - Matt. 23:31, 35
2. But what gives cause for alarm is:
a. That these enemies are in the church - Matt. 25:31-36; Acts 20:28-
33
b. They have the confidence of the brethren; that was Paul's bitterest
experience -- false brethren - 2 Cor. 11:13
c. They are hard to detect - Matt. 7:15; 2 Cor. 11:13, 14
d. They plant the seed of discord and do great harm to the cause of
God - Acts 20:29, 30
e. It is terrifying to think that wolves, in sheep's clothing, get in
among the members of the church - Mark 12:38
f. When we think of these unusual enemies, we have reason to be
deeply concerned for the safety of God's people.

C. IN WHAT WAY ARE THEY THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST?

1. They bring reproach to the cross of Christ:
a. By professing Christianity, yet with their works they deny the truth
- 1 Tim. 5:8
b. They induce other members to be careless in their association with
the world - 2 Cor. 6:14-17
c. They bring in division and discord to weaken the church - Rom.
16:17; 1 Cor. 3:3
d. They discredit the leaders, destroy the confidence in the brethren -
Num. 16:1-32
2. The real sorrow is brought to the Lord and His people because:
a. Such enemies are not detected before they have done great
damage.
b. Also, because the church does not live close enough to the Lord so
that He can give them the needed warning before the damage has been done.
 c. Many of God's children are soundly asleep - Matt. 25:1-12; 2 Cor.
11:22-34
3. Seven specific marks of the enemies of the cross of Christ:
a. Hypocrisy - Putting on a false front; hard to detect - Isa. 32:6;
Matt. 23:28; Job 15:35
b. Teaching false doctrines - 1 Tim. 4:1-8; Rev. 2:20
c. Living in sin -- 2 Tim. 3:1-7 -- what a sad story about God's
people.
d. Dishonesty in business.
e. Not having the Spirit of Christ.
f. Causing discord among the brethren.
g. Rebels against the church standards. Beware of these enemies of
the cross! Do not give them room for one moment, but put them on notice that you will
not have their fellowship.
CHURCH HYPOCRITES

A. WHY THIS SUBJECT?

1. Love the church of God: Isa. 62:1, 6
2. Hypocrites are the most dangerous enemies of the church:
a. Think of Judas using the symbol of love to betray Christ, the Head
of the church! Luke 22:23
3. The kiss was a twofold sign:
a. A sign of reverence and subjection to a superior - 1 Sam. 20:41
b. Of love and affection - Gen. 27:26, 27; 1 Sam. 20:41 - "the kisses
of an enemy are deceitful" - Prov. 27:6
4. A catalogue of hypocritical sins which plague the church: 2 Tim. 3:1-6

B. WHO ARE HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH?

1. They who pose as the true representatives of Christ and are not:
a. The Pharisees - Luke 18:11, 12
b. The liars - Acts 5:1-6; 1 Sam. 15:14, 15
c. The worldlings - 2 Tim. 3:1-5
d. The faultfinders - Matt. 7:1-3
e. All who honor God with their lips, but deny him with their actions
- Isa. 29:13
2. They are the real enemies of the church:
a. They use their religious connections for the purpose of misleading
-
EXAMPLES -
(1) The prophets in Israel - 1 Ki. 13:18
(2) Balaam is a typical example - Num. 25:1-6
(3) Ananias is still another example - Acts 5:1-4
(4) Simon - Acts 8:18-23
b. They weaken the church by giving the world an unfavorable
impression of the church - Prov. 14:34; 2 Sam. 12:14
 c. Satan uses the hypocrites in the church to bring a reproach upon
the cause of truth, and also to weaken the faith of some believers that associate with
them.
d. Beware of hypocrisy, it is deadly to the spiritual life of any
believers.

C. NOT ALL CHURCH MEMBERS ARE, AS THE WORLD CHARGES,

HYPOCRITES
1. There is plenty of unspoiled salt in the church of God:
EXAMPLES -
a. Simeon - Luke 2:25-32
b. Anna, a prophetess - verses 36-38
c. Zacharias and Elizabeth - Luke 1:6
d. Joseph - Gen. 39:1-12
e. Daniel and his friends - Dan. 2; 3; 6
2. The citizens of the kingdom are still the salt of the earth and the light of
the world:
3. Only God knows the true motive of human beings:
4. One reason why the hypocrites in the church stand out as a sore thumb is
because of the high standard of the church; whereas the world has, in most instances, no
standard at all:
5. Another reason why church hypocrites are easily seen in the church is
because they are exposed by the light of truth:
6. Another factor for the exposure of the hypocrites in the church is because
of the claims of God's people:
7. Time will come, and we are glad for it, when all hypocrites in the church
will forsake the church. God's people will be free from the hypocrisy of Phariseeism:
8. Let us hope and pray that none of us, unwittingly, allows himself to play
the role of a hypocrite:
9. Satan knows when we are sincere and also when we attempt to lead a
double life. He knew the weakness of Judas, of Saul, and many other victims of his
devises:
10. We shall do well to pray, as the Psalmist did, "Search me, O God, and know my
heart: try me, and know my thoughts." - Ps. 139:23
11. We know what God thinks of religious hypocrisy: Matt. 7:1-5; Luke 18:10-14;
Job. 27:8; Matt. 24:51
WHY I AM A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
ACTS 24:14; 1 PETER 3:15

A. THIS IS A BRIEF STATEMENT OF A SUMMATION OF MY FAITH

1. I am not a Seventh-day Adventist because:
a. I was brought up in the Lutheran faith.
b. I do not feel that I am better than people of a different persuasion.
2. My persuasion in being a Seventh-day Adventist is based upon:
a. The conviction that the teaching of the Adventist church is Biblical
all the way.
 b. That it is my duty, under God, to order my life in harmony with all
the Bible.

B. SEVEN SPECIFIC REASONS FOR MY PERSUASION THAT THE

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH TEACHES THE TRUTH
1. Our Name:
a. Expresses a dual relationship between the soon coming of Jesus
Christ and the loyalty of God's people preparing that blessed hope.
b. We observe the seventh and last day of the week, the Lord's day -
Compare Gen. 2:2, 3 with Ex. 20:8-11; Matt. 5:17-19; Luke 16:17; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:12-14;
Rev. 1:10
2. Our Creed:
a. If you mean a set of man made rules, we have none.
b. The Bible alone is our Creed -
(1) We reject all the so-called "holy traditions" of men - Mark
7:7-13; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Isa. 29:13
(2) We accept the sixty-six books of the Bible as our supreme
authority - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Luke 24:25-28; Acts 24:14; John 7:37-39
3. We are here in answer to Bible prophecy:
a. The great apostasy ushering in the dark ages - Acts 20:28-31; 2
Thess. 2:1-11; 2 Tim. 4:1-6
b. The Reformation or Restitution of all Bible truths foretold,
including the Sabbath - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 56:1-8; 58:1, 12-14
c. The proclamation of the Three Angels' Message ushers in the final
face of the Reformation - Rev. 14:6-12
4. Our Platform:
a. The Four Square Gospel -
(1) Saved by grace - Rom. 11:5, 6; Eph. 2:7, 8; Tit. 2:11
(2) Through the blood of Jesus - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rom. 5:9; 1
John 1:7-9; Rom. 3:25; Rev. 1:5
(3) Through faith in Jesus Christ - Rom. 5:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:15;
Heb. 11:4, 6; Rom. 10:17
(4) By the works which are the fruit of faith in Christ - Jas.
2:24-26; Matt. 7:8-23, 26
b. The gospel ordinances, a memorial of the great work of the
atonement by Christ -
(1) Water Baptism by immersion - Matt. 16:15, 16; 28:18-20;
Rom. 6:1-7; 1 Pet. 3:21; John 3:23
(2) Feetwashing - John 13:1-17; 1 Tim. 5:10
(3) The Lord's Supper - Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 10:15, 16;
11:22-29
(4) Prayer for the sick - Jas. 5:14-17
5. Our Standards:
a. We believe that the effect of faith in Jesus is threefold -
(1) It will cleanse our heart.
(2) It will cleanse our body.
 (3) It will cleanse our moral nature - Compare 1 Thess. 5:23
with Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:1-3; 1 Cor. 13; Gal. 5:16-24
6. We believe in complete separation of Church and State: Matt. 22:21
a. The State has its function in the civil relationship of its citizens.
b. The church's mission is to bring the gospel to all men, not bound
by national boundaries - Matt. 28:18-20
7. Our Hope:
a. Centers in the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord - Tit. 2:13;
John 14:1-3; Jas. 5:8
b. This hope is laid out to us in a chain of prophetic forecasts as
found in Dan. 2; 7; 8; and the book of Revelation. Also in the great prophecy of our Lord
in Matt. 24
c. We, with all saints, look forward to a new heaven and a new earth
which will consummate all God's promises to the saints in glory - 2 Pet. 3:12, 13; Isa.
65:15-17; 66:22-23; Rev. 2:22
PUBLIC WORSHIP
HEBREWS 10:35

A. "AND NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES

TOGETHER, AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS, BUT EXHORT ONE ANOTHER,
AND SO MUCH THE MORE, AS YE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING."
1. This admonition by Paul is timely and in accord with:
a. Ancient practice among God's people - Read carefully Lev. 23:1-
38; Ps. 89:7; 107:32; 111:1
b. The Patriarchs built altars wherever they pitched their tents - Gen.
8:20; 12:7; 22:9; 35:1
2. Public worship is practiced by most all religionists all over the world:
Acts 17:23

B. LET US CONSIDER PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE LIGHT OF OUR OPENING

TEXT
1. New Testament examples:
a. Christ attended public worship. It was His custom to meet with the
people in public worship - Luke 4:16
b. The disciples of Christ attended public worship - Acts 3:1-9;
16:13; 17:1-9
c. Not to attend is contrary to the Lord's counsel - Heb. 10:26
2. Here are a few important reasons for public worship:
a. On Christ's account. He made a promise, "For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matt. 18:20
b. On the church's account. The church is called "assembly" - Jas.
2:2; Heb. 12:23
(1) It is in the assembly of the church where the spiritual gifts
are manifested. 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph. 4:11, 12
(2) It is in the assembly of the church where communion is
served - 1 Cor. 11:23-34
 (3) But we ought to attend the church services for our own
sakes, which is foremost. We are in need of the blessings waiting for us at the church.
3. Specific reasons for attending public worship:
a. "Exhorting one another" - Heb. 3:13. To exhort is to encourage
each other in the Lord - 1 Pet. 5:1
b. Exhortation takes place in public gatherings - 1 Cor. 11:20
c. This exhortation should be to watchfulness and prayerful vigilance
- Matt. 24:42-44; 1 Pet. 5:8; to courage and perseverance - Matt. 24:12, 14; Rev. 2:10

C. A POWERFUL MOTIVE: "AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING"

1. Paul must have thought of the trials and persecution that the early
Christians were facing:
a. We face similar conditions approaching indicative of the last days -
Rev. 12:17; Heb. 11:36-40; Acts 8:1-4
b. It seems to me that Paul had S.D.A.'s in mind when he admonishes
the believers to meet together and exhort one another because we do know that we are
nearing the time of persecution - the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
2. We have four specific fulfillments of Bible prophecy to show that the end
is near at hand:
a. Rev. 13:11-17 -- development in the U.S.A.; the emergence of the
papacy; and the leaning of nominal protestantism toward Rome.
b. The moral breakdown of the home, society, and the nations - 2
Tim. 3:1-9; Matt. 24:12
c. Conditions in our church cannot be ignored - Rev. 3:14-17
d. The signs foretelling the coming of our Lord have all, except the
Mark of the Beast, been fulfilled.
Surely we have many reasons to heed Paul's admonition to assemble
ourselves and to use these gatherings for prayerful exhortation and encouragement
because the end of all things is upon us - Rom. 13:11-14
TRUE WORSHIP

A. "YE WORSHIP YE KNOW NOT WHAT: WE KNOW WHAT WE WORSHIP:

FOR SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS. BUT THE HOUR COMETH AND NOW IS,
WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPPERS SHALL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT
AND IN TRUTH." - John 4:22, 23
1. With these words the Lord Jesus Christ brings into sharp focus one of the
fundamental truths of the Bible:
a. It is noteworthy that this central truth about worship was made to a
Samaritan, hated by the Jews.
b. It indicates clearly that God is not a respecter of persons - Acts
10:34, 35
c. It reaffirms a great truth that before God all sinners stand on the
same platform.
(1) Light and truth are made available to all - Rev. 22:17
(2) For they are God's agents to lead us back to Himself - John
8:31, 32; 17:17
 2. This is an important fact to keep in mind as we study True Worship:
a. To which truth is the very foundation - 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Cor. 3:10,
11
b. The scriptures are the divine source of truth -
2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:16-20

B. TRUE WORSHIP
1. Worship:
a. Webster defines worship as "an act of paying divine honor to a
deity; religious reverence and homage."
b. The root meaning of the word `worship' is prostration, one
prostrating himself in the attitude of prayer and adoration.
2. Three basic facts entering into worship:
a. It reveals man's need to acknowledge and have connection with a
higher power.
b. It is, also, an acknowledgement by man that he has sinned, and
therefore seeks peace of heart through the act of worship.
c. It may also be an acknowledgement that there is a life hereafter.
These related facts give, to my understanding, expression to the common
concept of worship.
3. The foundation of true worship:
a. The first and great essential of true worship is an honest
appreciation of God's character - Ps. 99:3; 111:9
b. This foundation centers in the Bible, the Word of God - John
17:17; Dan. 10:21; 2 Tim. 3:15-17
c. Christ, the Son of God, came into this world to guide us in
worshipping the true God.
d. God is a Spirit. With this statement our Lord sets us free from all
false notions about God. He is a personal Being, as revealed in the Bible - Gen. 1:26, 27;
Ex. 33:22, 23; Num. 12:8

C. NATURE OF TRUE WORSHIP

1. The nature and character of God necessitate a similar nature or character
by the worshipper:
a. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in
spirit and in truth."
b. Purity of heart is dependent upon knowing and obeying the truth -
Matt. 22:29; 1 Pet. 1:22; John 5:39; 8:32
c. Spirituality and truth are inseparable; one is the result of the other.
He who is truly spiritual lives by the word of truth - Rom. 7:14; John 6:63; 2 Tim. 3:16
2. True worship is based upon pure and sanctified affections for God:
EXAMPLES -
a. Christ is our greatest example - Matt. 3:17; John 12:28
b. Solomon, in his early childhood, is a true example of true worship
- 1 Ki. 3:5-15; 8:10, 11
c. Abraham, too, is a worthy example - Gen. 22:1-12
 d. Jacob is still another example - Gen. 28:1-15
3. Blessings of true worship:
a. God seeks such to worship Him - Acts 13:22; Gen. 12:1-6; Acts
8:26-39
b. God will give them access to His council - Gen. 18:17
c. He will receive them into glory - Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5; Rev.
14:1-5
CHEAP WORSHIP
2 SAMUEL 24:13-25

A. WORSHIP
1. To pay homage and reverent respect to God: Ps. 99:9
2. Types of worship:
a. Praise and thanksgiving - Ps. 42:4; 50:23
b. Bringing gifts unto God - Ps. 42:4; 50:23; 68:29; 76:11
c. Obey His holy will - Matt. 4:10; 1 Sam. 15:23
d. Witnessing for the truth - Acts 1:8, 9; 1 Pet. 2:9-11

B. WORSHIP OF KING DAVID

1. David made many mistakes in his life; we all make plenty of mistakes:
Jas. 3:1-8
2. But David possessed the grace to give the best he had to God in his
worship:
a. Our text is one outstanding example of David's ability to
appreciate the worship of the Lord God of hosts.
b. He left us a pattern of true worship.
3. He had a chance to let the other fellow cover the material cost of his
worship. That man offered to pay it all:
a. But David knew better; he knew that God knew what David was
able to do to worship Him.
b. Said David, "Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price" - 2
Sam. 24:24
c. "Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that
which doth cost me nothing" - verse 24.
d. He did not believe in cheap worship - Mal. 1:6-8
e. Neither did he believe in taking advantage of other liberal
worshippers to pay his way.
f. That was forbidden by law - Lev. 22:22, 25. This is a point for all
of us to keep in mind when we worship.
g. Let us search our hearts and see whether it will condemn us for
seeking to float along in our church relationship.

C. TRUE APPRAISAL OF OUR WORSHIP

1. Our worship should be guided by four specific factors:
 a. Love to God which is the very foundation of acceptable worship;
Deut. 6:4-6 gives us an inspired commentary on acceptable worship; Isa. 29:13. True
love to God is marked by us giving the best we have to God -
EXAMPLES -
(1) Abraham loved God and he gave the best he had to God -
Gen. 22:1-12
(2) The poor widow loved God and she gave all her living to
God - Mark 12:44
(3) Mary Magdalene loved the Lord and gave the best she had
- Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37
b. True worship reveals itself - In our loyalty to truth - Job. 23:10, 11;
Dan. 6:10; Gen. 39:8, 9 -
(1) It is manifested by our recognition of the reasonableness of
serving God - Isa. 1:18, 19
c. Cheap worship overlooks the central truth of worship -
(1) That God is the real giver of all we have or could give to
God - 1 Chron. 29:11, 12
(2) That when we withhold any blessing from God, we deprive
ourselves of the blessings - Prov. 11:24; Hag. 1:6
(3) That when we give the best we have to God, He will
multiply it in return to our own benefit - Mal. 3:8-11; Mark 10:28-30
d. Cheap worship is indicative of our concept of God -
(1) We have a narrow concept of God.
(2) We depreciate His love sacrifice for us.
(3) God gave all to save us - John 3:16
(4) Why and how can we do less than we are able?
DEFECTIVE WORSHIP

A. "EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED THE

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, YE SHALL IN NO CASE
ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." - Matt. 5:20
1. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees:
a. Was superficial or outward only.
b. It consisted of long public prayers.
c. And many other man-made rituals - Compare Matt. 15:1-7 with
Mark 7:1-13; Matt. 23:1-36
2. They left out of their worship the heart religion: Isa. 29:13
a. They omitted the weightier matters -- judgment, mercy, and faith -
Isa. 59:8; Amos 5:7; Jer. 6:23; Deut. 32:20; Rom. 3:3
b. They sought to parade their own goodness instead of seeking the
glory of God - Rom. 10:1-6

B. OUR LORD WARNS US AGAINST A SUPERFICIAL RELIGION

1. We shall do well to heed this warning:
a. Externalism as seen amongst Christians today will be fatal - 2 Tim.
3:1-5
 b. One may have a semblance of truth, paying tithe on mint and anise.
c. Their lives may be outwardly correct - Luke 18:11, 12
d. One may be punctual in attendance at the church services - "having
a form of godliness."
2. But externalism is insufficient for Christ; He frowns upon it:
a. He despises pharisaical righteousness - Matt. 23:1-36
b. He saw too much among the professed leaders of His people -
Matt. 6:2-11
c. He sees too much of this superficial lip service among His people
today - Rev. 3:14-17; Matt. 24:12, 13
d. He wants the pure gold of our Christian experience - Rev. 3:18; 1
Pet. 2:9-11
3. External form is a part of the worship of God's people:
a. We must know how to conduct ourselves in the house of the Lord -
1 Tim. 3:15
b. Posture in prayer is perfectly proper.
c. Reverence in God's house is a must.
d. But all these are minor when we think of the condition of the heart;
when we think of our everyday lives.

C. RELIGIOUS EXTERNALISM IS DECEPTIVE AND VERY PERNICIOUS IN

CONSEQUENCES
1. It leaves the heart unchanged:
a. The scribes and Pharisees were very particular in their outward
performance of their religious duties.
b. But their hearts were full of murder and other crimes - Matt. 23:27,
28; Jer. 17:9
2. Such a religion blunts the conscience:
a. There is no mercy or compassion.
b. There is no desire to be patient and long-suffering.
3. Such a religion feeds on human egotism and neglects the needs of the
soul:
a. That is how sin began in heaven - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18
b. That was the downfall of Adam and Eve - Gen. 3:1-6
c. It was the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30
4. Such a religion leads to:
a. The neglect of secret prayer - Jas. 4:1-3
b. The neglect of the study of the Word of God.
c. It makes us indifferent to the needs of others.
d. It breeds faultfinding and other damnable sins - Matt. 7:1-6.
Faultfinding is one of the plagues of the church today.
e. All this shows that external religion, by itself, is harmful to the
soul and to the worship of the Lord.
f. We shall do well to heed the warning of our opening text.
GOD'S REGARD FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF HIS PEOPLE
A. "THE LORD LOVETH THE GATES OF ZION MORE THAN ALL THE
DWELLINGS OF JACOB" - Ps. 87:2
1. What is the most inspiring scene of human association?
a. An assembly of legislators, who meet and enact good laws!
b. An assembly of philosophers is interesting too!
2. But, according to our text, the assembly of God's children surpasses them
all. To this our text immediately directs our attention:

B. "FOR THE LORD LOVETH THE GATES OF ZION MORE THAN ALL THE
DWELLING OF JACOB"
1. God loves the dwelling of His people:
a. He made a hedge about the home of Job - Job 1:10
b. The angel of the Lord guards the homes of God's children - Ps.
34:7; that was Lot's experience - Gen. 19:1-11
c. God's love for dwellings of His people is implied in our opening
text itself "The Lord loveth more"; that indicates that the difference of God's love is by
degrees, but it remains that He loves the dwellings of His people.
2. The glorious declaration "He loveth the gates more" indicates the
attachment of the Lord to the house of God:
a. To be in the congregation of God's people was one of the first and
most important provisions in the construction of the sanctuary - Ex. 25:8; 29:46
b. God communed with Israel from the mercy seat - Ex. 25:17, 22
c. The Saviour promised to meet with His people even if only two or
three are gathered together - Matt. 18:20
d. Mal. 3:16 is a wonderful commentary to our subject - "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 thought
upon his name."

C. WHAT REASONS CAN BE ASSIGNED FOR THE AFFECTIONATE

PREFERENCE OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD?
1. The motive of such assemblies:
a. Worship - this is and ever should be the chief reason for the
assembly of the people -
(1) It is a perpetual motive; it will never cease to be - Isa. 66:23
(2) It is the very life of God's people - Ps. 95:6; 99:5, 9
b. It is one of God's communication centers where He will make
known His holy will - Ex. 25:22
2. To share the blessing of the Lord with one another is still another
incentive for God's special favor of the gates of Zion:
a. That is the way God approved to encourage one another in the way
of life - 1 Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:11-18
b. Communion prayer is another good reason for God's special favor.
c. Think of what such prayer meetings have accomplished?
(1) On the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:13-16; 2:1-16
(2) In time of severe persecution - Acts 4:23-31; 12:12
 3. To make united plans for carrying on the work of the Lord:
a. That was done in the days of the apostles - Acts 15:6-30
b. What would happen to the Advent Movement without such
assemblies?
c. "Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of
counsellors there is safety." - Prov. 11:14; 24:6
4. These and other good reasons should convince us that God has a special
blessing for His people who assemble in the gates of Zion to reverence the Lord and think
on His wonderful name:
FELLOWSHIP

A. "AND THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD WALKING IN THE

GARDEN IN THE COOL OF THE DAY: AND ADAM AND HIS WIFE HID
THEMSELVES FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, AMONGST THE TREES
OF THE GARDEN, AND THE LORD GOD CALLED UNTO ADAM, AND SAID
UNTO HIM, WHERE ART THOU?" - Gen. 3:8, 9
1. The words of our text are a wonderful revelation of God's attitude toward
our first parents:
a. God was lonesome for them, and He sought them out even after
they had transgressed His commandment.
b. It must be noted that it was not man, but God who sought to restore
the broken relation.
c. Fellowship seems clearly indicated in our text.

B. FELLOWSHIP
1. Man was made for fellowship. This fact is clearly indicated in our text:
a. "It is not good that the man should be alone" - Gen. 2:18
b. Christianity stands or falls on the belief in a personal God and the
realization of loving fellowship with Him - Rom. 14:7
2. The earthly sanctuary is a vivid illustration of this truth:
a. "Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" -
Ex. 25:8
b. The presence of the Lord in the Most Holy was ever a reminder to
the worshipper that God loved fellowship with His people.
3. The coming of the Son of God into the world, dwelling among men, is a
further indication of God's desire for the fellowship of His children: John 1:11, 14
4. The promise of our Lord to be with the believers in their gatherings - Matt.
18:20 - is added evidence of this truth:
5. His final promise to be with us to the end of time seals the truth of our
text: Matt. 28:20
6. The Bible indicates four ways in which we have fellowship with the Lord:
a. In meditation and prayer - Luke 6:12; Matt. 14:23; Ps. 63:6
b. In corporate worship - Heb. 10:25
c. At the family altar - Job 1:1-5
d. Visiting the aged and the widows - Matt. 25:36; Jas. 1:27
C. IMPORTANCE OF THIS SUBJECT
1. Sin breaks fellowship:
a. That was demonstrated in the experience of Adam and Eve.
b. Such a break is caused by a sense of shame - Jer. 3:35
c. By fear caused by sin and guilt.
d. It seeks to excuse the broken fellowship - Luke 14:18-20; 18:13
e. By hiding! Hiding is one of the most evident presence of guilt in
the life of a sinner.
(1) Some hide from the Lord by keeping themselves occupied
with the cares of this world.
(2) Others hide by refusing to heed the voice of invitation -
John 8:9; Acts 24:25; Matt. 27:1-6
(3) Some hide themselves from the Lord when they refuse to
confess their sins - Ps. 32:2-5
(4) Others flatter themselves and so seek to hide their need of
help from above.
(5) Still others hide themselves by blaming others for their
attitude - 1 Sam. 15:15
2. God loves even sinners; seeks to restore the disrupted fellowship:
a. He made the first move; it was not Adam, but God who sought out
the transgressor to restore him to the fellowship of his God.
b. Note, please, how the Bible uses the word "first" in its relationship
to God and man;
(1) "He first loved us" - 1 John 4:19
(2) "Unto you first, God, having raised his Son, sent him to
bless you" - Acts 3:26
(3) "Let the children be filled first" - Mark 7:27
3. The church of God is God's medium to restore the fellowship God loves so
much:
a. Communion service - 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14
b. Fellowship with each other - 1 John 1:6, 7; Phil. 2:1; Eph. 3:9
ATTACHMENT TO GOD'S HOUSE
NEHEMIAH 10:39

A. "WE WILL NOT FORSAKE THE HOUSE OF THE LORD"

1. This was the answer of Nehemiah with regard to the responsibility of the
ministers of the Lord:
a. They should never have divided interests at any time.
b. The services of God in the house of the Lord come first and
foremost - Matt. 6:33
2. The resoluteness of the prophet to tend to God's house should be:
a. A challenge and an incentive to us to be attached to God's house at
all times.
b. "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the
Lord." - Ps. 122:1-9
B. ATTACHED TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
1. Our attachment to God's house is based:
a. Upon our attachment to the Lord - Jer. 17:26
b. The blessings connected with the house of the Lord -
(1) The gracious presence of the Lord.
(2) The bestowal of God's blessings upon the worshippers.
(3) The revelation given by God to His people in the house of
the Lord.
2. A serious and personal responsibility:
a. "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her
cunning" - Ps. 137:5
b. "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth" - verse 6
3. Some reasons for this serious resolve:
a. Our attachment and union to and with the Lord - Rom. 8:31-39; 2
Tim. 3:14
b. It bears the name of the Lord - 2 Sam. 7:13
c. It is the center of Christian fellowship.
d. A day in the house of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere
- Ps. 84:10
e. It is the house of prayer - Isa. 56:7
f. It is the heaven provided shelter for God's people - Mi. 4:8; John
10:15, 16

C. SOME VERY SPECIAL BLESSINGS FOR ALL WHO ARE ATTACHED TO

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
1. There is the presence of the Lord:
a. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them" - Matt. 18:20
b. It is the place of edification from the Lord - 1 Thess. 5:11
2. It is the center of the preaching of the word of God:
a. The temple - Luke 2:6
b. The synagogue - Luke 4:16-18
3. It is where the wonderful and solemn ordinances of the Lord are
dispensed: John 13:1-17; 1 Cor. 11:22-36
4. It is the place where we can hear the testimonies of the believers: Mal.
3:16, 17
5. It is the most hallowed meeting place in the realm of God's cause:
6. How should we conduct ourselves in the house of the Lord to which we
are attached?
a. Paul was greatly concerned that the believers know how to walk in
the house of the Lord - 1 Tim. 3:15
b. It fills my heart with sorrow to see how some of our young people
are so disrespectful to the house of worship.
c. The Lord is sorely displeased with the irreverence of some of our
children in the services of the church.
 d. There is a sacred duty for every parent to give the children the
needed instruction to be reverent in God's house.
e. "Reverence my sanctuary" - Lev. 19:30; 26:2; Ps. 89:7
f. There is room for improvement for the older people. Too much
noise and too much talking in the church.
g. Let us enter the house of God with prayer and dedication.