Author: Jay4Jesus

Hello Readers!

How precious is the gift of time.  We exist in time, and it would be impossible to accomplish anything in this life without it. Our past, present and future lives are marked and influenced by time.  Our very aging process is marked by our birthdates, our relationships are held more precious by how long we have known each other, the events that influence our emotions and behaviour are also marked in time.  For example, do you remember this date, 9/11.  Do you remember what you were doing when you heard?  How you felt? Who alerted you or how you found out?

In my devotion this morning, the thought of time crossed my mind because the past few weeks during my bible study class and early morning prayer, the shortness of our remaining time prior to the return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is taking on a greater focus and the urgency of preparation for what lies just ahead.

I recalled reading the excerpt that I share below.  It is one that we should read several times because it is so true and impactful.  I pray that as I share it with you that it alerts us to how precious and important the use of our time before God.

Excerpt from Christ Object Lessons (COL) by E. G. White, chapter: Talents, pages 342-348.

            “Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a stricter account than of our time. COL 342.1

The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment. COL 342.2

The human family have scarcely begun to live when they begin to die, and the world’s incessant labor ends in nothingness unless a true knowledge in regard to eternal life is gained. The man who appreciates time as his working day will fit himself for a mansion and for a life that is immortal. It is well that he was born. COL 342.3

We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption. COL 342.4

In him who does this, a transformation of character takes place. He becomes a son of God, a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. He is fitted to be the companion of the angels. COL 342.5

Now is our time to labor for the salvation of our fellow men. There are some who think that if they give money to the cause of Christ, this is all they are required to do; the precious time in which they might do personal service for Him passes unimproved. But it is the privilege and duty of all who have health and strength to render to God active service. All are to labor in winning souls to Christ. Donations of money cannot take the place of this. COL 343.1

Every moment is freighted with eternal consequences. We are to stand as minute men, ready for service at a moment’s notice. The opportunity that is now ours to speak to some needy soul the word of life may never offer again. God may say to that one, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee,” and through our neglect he may not be ready. (Luke 12:20.) In the great judgment day, how shall we render our account to God? COL 343.2

Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion. The Bible gives no indorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world. Every man and woman who is truly converted will be a diligent worker. COL 343.3

Upon the right improvement of our time depends our success in acquiring knowledge and mental culture. The cultivation of the intellect need not be prevented by poverty, humble origin, or unfavorable surroundings. Only let the moments be treasured. A few moments here and a few there, that might be frittered away in aimless talk; the morning hours so often wasted in bed; the time spent in traveling on trams or railway cars, or waiting at the station; the moments of waiting for meals, waiting for those who are tardy in keeping an appointment—if a book were kept at hand, and these fragments of time were improved in study, reading, or careful thought, what might not be accomplished. A resolute purpose, persistent industry, and careful economy of time will enable men to acquire knowledge and mental discipline which will qualify them for almost any position of influence and usefulness. COL 343.4

It is the duty of every Christian to acquire habits of order, thoroughness, and dispatch. There is no excuse for slow bungling at work of any character. When one is always at work and the work is never done, it is because mind and heart are not put into the labor. The one who is slow and who works at a disadvantage should realize that these are faults to be corrected. He needs to exercise his mind in planning how to use the time so as to secure the best results. By tact and method, some will accomplish as much in five hours as others do in ten. Some who are engaged in domestic labor are always at work not because they have so much to do but because they do not plan so as to save time. By their slow, dilatory ways they make much work out of very little. But all who will, may overcome these fussy, lingering habits. In their work let them have a definite aim. Decide how long a time is required for a given task, and then bend every effort toward accomplishing the work in the given time. The exercise of the willpower will make the hands move deftly. COL 344.1

Through lack of determination to take themselves in hand and reform, persons can become stereotyped in a wrong course of action; or by cultivating their powers they may acquire ability to do the very best of service. Then they will find themselves in demand anywhere and everywhere. They will be appreciated for all that they are worth. COL 344.2

By many children and youth, time is wasted that might be spent in carrying home burdens, and thus showing a loving interest in father and mother. The youth might take upon their strong young shoulders many responsibilities which someone must bear. COL 345.1

The life of Christ from His earliest years was a life of earnest activity. He lived not to please Himself. He was the Son of the infinite God, yet He worked at the carpenter’s trade with His father Joseph. His trade was significant. He had come into the world as the character builder, and as such all His work was perfect. Into all His secular labor He brought the same perfection as into the characters He was transforming by His divine power. He is our pattern. COL 345.2

Parents should teach their children the value and right use of time. Teach them that to do something which will honor God and bless humanity is worth striving for. Even in their early years they can be missionaries for God. COL 345.3

Parents cannot commit a greater sin than to allow their children to have nothing to do. The children soon learn to love idleness, and they grow up shiftless, useless men and women. When they are old enough to earn their living, and find employment, they work in a lazy, droning way, yet expect to be paid as much as if they were faithful. There is a worldwide difference between this class of workers and those who realize that they must be faithful stewards. COL 345.4

Indolent, careless habits indulged in secular work will be brought into the religious life and will unfit one to do any efficient service for God. Many who through diligent labor might have been a blessing to the world, have been ruined through idleness. Lack of employment and of steadfast purpose opens the door to a thousand temptations. Evil companions and vicious habits deprave mind and soul, and the result is ruin for this life and for the life to come. COL 345.5

Whatever the line of work in which we engage, the word of God teaches us to be “not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,” “knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Romans 12:11; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:24.” Amen.

Dear friends, it has been a while since a recent blog was posted and we do apologize. We have certainly been negligent in being consistent but know that we are sincere in our efforts. Much has been going on but amid all of that, God has shown His care and faithfulness. We praise Him. We also hope that all has been well with you.

This post is a dive into the sacredness of the Sabbath, the rest that it represents for us who are living towards the end of time and God’s desire and intention to restore his people and the earth to sinless perfection. This excerpt is taken from the book, Living by Faith. A compilation of works by A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner. This is chapter 41 entitled, A New Creation. Please enjoy:

True Sabbath keeping means rest in the Lord – depending on Him as the Creator, who is able to create you a new creature in Christ Jesus.  This thought is worthy of further consideration. Let’s recall a few plain statements of Scripture.

God has made His wonderful works to be remembered. Psalms 111:4.

He wants you to remember His wonderful works, in order that you may know His power, because His power is known by His works. Romans 1:20.

It is necessary for you to know the power of God, in order that you may be saved, because the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone that believes. Romans 1:16. It is by the power of God, through faith, that you are kept. 1 Peter 1:5.

The Sabbath is a memorial that God gave you of His wonderful works. “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”  Genesis 2:3.  “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”  Exodus 20:10, 11.

Since the Sabbath is the memorial of the wonderful works of God, and God is known by His works, it follows that the Sabbath gives the knowledge of God. And so, He says: “And hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.”  Ezekiel 20:20.

But to know God is to know Him as He is. It is to know that He is love (1 John 4:16), that He is of great compassion (Lamentations 3:22), that He is merciful (Psalms 103:8, 11, 17), that He delights in mercy (Micah 7:18), that He takes no pleasure in the death of any (Ezekiel 33:11), that He has interposed Himself for your salvation (Hebrews 6:13-20), and that He is able to do all that He has promised.  Romans 4:21; Ephesians 3:20. In short, to know God is to know Jesus Christ, “for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), and God is manifested only in Christ.  John 1:18. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19.

Christ is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:24. Therefore the works of God, by which the power of God is known, make Christ known to you. This is evident enough, because “by Him were all things created.” Colossians 1:16. “All things were made by Him.” John 1:3. And since the Sabbath is the memorial of creation, it is the memorial of the power of Christ. But Christ is your Savior. “He was manifested to take away our sins.”    1 John 3:5. Therefore the Sabbath is for the purpose of letting you know the power of Christ to save you from sin. This we also plainly read: “Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.”  Ezekiel 20:12.

When God had finished the six days of creation, He “saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”  Genesis 1:31. This look included us. “God made man upright.”  Ecclesiastes 7:29. Since the Sabbath is the memorial of a perfect creation it shows the power of God to create a perfect earth, and perfect people to dwell in it.

“They shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it. He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited; I am the LORD; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye Me in vain; I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.”  Isaiah 45:16-19.

Notice carefully what this text says. “The makers of idols will be ashamed and confounded, but Israel will be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation.” Why? Because the Lord made the earth to be inhabited; He did not make it in vain. If it were not inhabited, it would have been made in vain. But He showed in the beginning what kind of people He designed to inhabit the earth. He made the earth to be inhabited by perfect beings. Now since He did not make it in vain, it is going to be inhabited by just the kind of people that He made to inhabit it in the beginning. He is going to save people out of the earth, making them perfect, to inhabit the earth forever. He will make the earth new for their habitation. See Revelation 21:1, 5; 22: 1-5; 2 Peter 3:13.

Therefore, the Sabbath is both a memorial and a pledge. It is a sign that God made everything perfect in the beginning and it is a pledge that He will restore all things to perfection as they were in the beginning.  He will create a new earth. What does that mean? It means that the earth is to be restored to the condition that it was in when it was first created. It was then a new earth, and God is going to make it new again. But it will be inhabited, for the Lord did not make it in vain. And it will be inhabited by perfect people. Only righteousness will dwell on the new earth.

The Sabbath reminds you that God made the earth by His power. The Sabbath also makes Jesus known to you as the One by His power will create you as a new creature in Christ to dwell on the new earth.

So, the Sabbath is the seal of a perfect creation, both in the beginning, and at the last. Keeping the Sabbath means perfect submission to the will of God, so that His will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. It means for you to give the Lord His way with you, so that He can make you to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made you accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5, 6.

The Sabbath is God’s rest. It is the rest which God entered into when He ceased from His work and left His word to uphold that which it had created. That rest He gave to the first humans in Eden.  That same rest He gives now to all who will accept Him. It is the rest in which you are to be saved, as the Lord says, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.”  Isaiah 30:15. It is resting on the power which made the heavens and the earth, and which still holds them up. It is the rest which in the beginning was connected with the new earth, and so having that rest is the assurance of rest in the earth when it is again made new. And so, it is fitting that when the earth is made new, the Sabbath will be observed by all flesh. See Isaiah 66:22, 23.  End of excerpt.

I sincerely hope that you have been blessed and from this reading have a greater appreciation for the Sabbath and what it means to our salvation.  The Love that God has for us is clearly revealed. May God richly bless you.

“No man shall have for himself particular gods of his own; no man shall worship by himself any new or foreign gods, unless they are recognized by the public laws.”—Cicero.

The Great Empires of Prophecy, from Babylon to the Fall of Rome (GEP), by A. T. Jones, 348.4

What are the limits of civil authority from the standpoint of natural right and divine authority?

I pondered these questions while doing my devotion and thinking about things taking place in this world in which we live.  Many changes have taken place within the past few years which have given rise to startling trends in behavior from those who are voted to govern to those who cannot govern themselves. 

With the examination of these trends, are we going back to a time in history that we found so oppressive and antihuman that we have buried it so deep to have forgotten the lessons learnt?  To the extent that, having forgotten, we are now reverting to the same behaviors that were then abhorrent. 

What do you think?  Let me share an excerpt from a book that I read.  The Limits of Civil Authority (LCA) by A. T. Jones.

THERE seems to be in this country at the present time an urgent need of a better understanding by the public, upon the subject of the boundaries of the domain of popular government; for there are indications of an ignorance upon this point which cannot fail to be attended with grave wrongs to individuals and evils to the State. The principle that “the majority must rule,” is the correct one, but is not of universal application. There is danger that it may be extended altogether too far; for it must be evident to all, that the majority cannot prescribe rules for the minority in everything, no matter how small that minority may be. If it can, there is no such thing as individual rights, for that which is subject to the will of a majority is not a right. A right is something which, in its very nature, is inherent in the one possessing it, independent of the will of all other persons. Otherwise it would be but a mere privilege, such as a superior might grant to an inferior, and take away again at his pleasure; and the saying would be true that “might makes right.” But it is one of the fundamental principles of our government, that “all men are created equal.” It is not the prerogative of any one to be lord over any other, to prescribe rules by which he must live. They are equal in this, that all have an equal right to think and act as suits their inclinations. But this right is limited by the fact that all are equal, which forbids each to do anything that would encroach upon the rights of his neighbor. For that which would interfere with the rights of others is not a right. Rights cannot conflict. Rights run in parallel lines, never crossing, never clashing. LCA 1.1

All individuals have rights. The Declaration of Independence declares that “all men are created equal,” “and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights;” that among these are “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;” and the same great truths are embodied in the fundamental principles of English and American law. (See Cooley’s Edition of Blackstone’s Commentaries, book 1) and these rights are a necessary consequence of the fact that all men are created equal. This fact gives to each one equal authority, and leaves no one with any natural authority over and above another. No man gets his rights and liberties from his fellows, but from his Creator, who, as the Declaration of Independence says, endowed him with them; and therefore only his Creator can rightfully take them away. Otherwise than this, he can be deprived of them only by forfeiture for misconduct. LCA 2.1

The purpose of governments, as the Declaration of Independence asserts, is to protect these rights,—the rights of the individual. Governments are not instituted merely to run themselves, to become rich and great and powerful at the expense of the individuals composing them, and to perpetuate themselves regardless of the wishes of the governed; but to protect each individual in the enjoyment of his rights. The individual could not well protect himself against all others, so each delegates his right in this respect to certain ones chosen to make laws and preserve peace and order, and who are backed up by the power of the people who choose them. This is what constitutes government in its republican form,—the delegation of the power and authority of the people, the individuals, to their representatives. And this is done, directly or indirectly, by means of an election, in which each individual has an equal voice. The people do the governing, and those chosen to office are but the servants of the people, to carry out their will, and not in any sense rulers over them. LCA 2.2

Governments should, therefore, exercise themselves in doing what they are instituted to do; viz., protect the people in the enjoyment of their rights; and outside of this they have no legitimate authority whatever; for governments, in their popular form, are but the expression of the will of the majority. The majority can and must rule in the sphere which governments are instituted to fill, in prescribing the manner in which the purpose of the government—the protection and preservation of individual rights—shall be carried out, whether that government be municipal, State, or national. Beyond this the majority has no right to go. And let it be remembered that while popular governments represent the will of the majority, they are instituted to protect the rights of the minority,—the individual. The moment therefore that the government undertakes to regulate an individual’s conduct in matters which do not concern the rights of others, it begins to do just the opposite of that which it was instituted to do, since it begins to invade, not protect, the rights of the minority. LCA 3.1

When, therefore, we hear it said that Mr. A. or Mr. B. must stop doing as he does, because in this country the majority must rule, it is proper to stop and inquire whether his conduct pertains to that upon which the majority have the right to speak. If his conduct is an infringement upon the rights of his neighbors, if it is an infringement of the will of the majority in that which concerns the equal rights of all citizens, it must be regulated by their will. But if not, the individual is within the sphere of his own rights and liberties, so far, at least, as his fellow-men are concerned, and no one has the right to molest him, however foolish or unwise his conduct may appear to others. He is outside the lines which mark the limitations of majority rule. LCA 3.2

But there are other considerations that enter into this question. Man’s first and highest allegiance in all things is due to his Creator; therefore the domain of conscience is one which human government, whether of one or of many, has no right to invade. No man can surrender his conscience to the keeping of another, and maintain his loyalty to God; but as a responsible moral being, he must remain loyal to his Creator at whatever cost, even at the sacrifice of life itself. In such cases the word of the Lord is: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:25  God’s word is, “Thou shalt not go with the multitude to do evil.” This places every man on his own responsibility, and shows that a question of duty toward God, a question of conscience, is a question with which majorities and minorities have nothing to do. LCA 4.1

The first and great commandment in the divine law is supreme love to God. The test of love is obedience: “If ye love me,” says the Saviour, “keep my commandments.” John 14:15 And again we are told in the divine word that “by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” 1 John 5:2, 3.  Hence, the commandment to love God is in effect a command that we obey him. And this the divine law says alike to every man. “We know,” says the apostle, “that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Romans 3:19  LCA 4.2

But while God demands man’s first and best affections, he throws the safeguards of his law around his creatures, and to each moral being he says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:39  But at an early period in the history of the race, man rebelled against the law of his Creator. The divine injunction of equal love for fellow-creatures no longer afforded the protection necessary, and so God ordained that men should organize for the protection and securing of their own natural rights. This we call civil government. But this in no way supersedes the divine government; it does not in any measure release the individual from obligation to obey the divine law. It simply provides a way whereby men may compel their fellows to yield to them that which is their due. LCA 5.1

Notwithstanding the ordinance of civil government, God is still the great moral Governor; to him every soul is responsible; to him every free moral agent must give account. To permit any power whatever to come between the individual and God, would destroy individual responsibility toward God. if it were the province of the State to enforce the law of God, the individual would naturally seek to know not the will of God but the will of the State. The effect would be to put the State in the place of God, just as the papacy puts the pope in the place of God. On the other hand, had God not committed to man the conservation of his own natural rights, one of two things would have happened; either vengeance for transgression against human rights would have been so swift and certain as to defeat the very object of God in making and in leaving man free to choose or refuse his service, or else punishment would have been so long delayed as to afford no protection to those in need of it. Civil government as it exists is an absolute necessity for a race of social free moral agents, in a state of alienation from their Creator. LCA 5.2

It is evident from the facts stated that there never can be any conflict between legitimate civil authority and the claims of the divine law. And yet the fact remains that there have been many and serious conflicts. Civil governments have frequently required of their subjects that which the divine law forbids, and have forbidden that which the divine law requires. Why is this? The answer is that those in power have either willfully or ignorantly exceeded their legitimate authority. Were this not true, it would have been the duty of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to have fallen down and worshiped the great image set up by Nebuchadnezzar in the plain of Dura, and God would not have delivered them out of the furnace into which they were cast. It would likewise have been Daniel’s duty to have refrained from asking any petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of the king only, when so commanded by his earthly sovereign; and God would not have sent an angel and closed the mouths of the lions into whose den he was cast for his disregard of civil authority. But God did deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he did vindicate Daniel’s course, thus declaring in an unmistakable manner, and in thunder tones, that he alone is Sovereign of the conscience, that to him alone is unqualified allegiance due, and that he alone is the moral Governor of the universe. LCA 6.1

Nor are these instances cited isolated cases in which the devoted servants of God have, in the face of death, chosen to obey God rather than men. The Bible and the history of the Christian Church are full of such cases. This principle was well understood and was fearlessly announced by the apostles who had received it from the Lord himself, couched in these matchless words, “Render unto Cesar the things which are Cesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21 And when commanded by the civil rulers to refrain from doing something which Jesus had commanded, “Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” And again, Peter and the other apostles answered and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 4:19  Such must be the Christian’s answer to-day to any and every demand that conscience be subordinated to civil authority. The Christian can go to prison or to death, but he cannot disobey God even at the behest of the greatest of civil powers. His invariable answer must be, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” 

This excerpt gives much food for thought, but you cannot deny the truth or common sense of it. 

I will end with a quote that I used in a previous blog post over a year ago, but is so applicable to this discussion.  It was written by Thomas Jefferson, who was the third President of the USA.

Here is the statement:

“The spirit of the times may alter, will alter.  Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless.  A single zealot may commence persecution, and better men be his victims.  It can never be too often repeated, that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest, and ourselves united.  From the conclusion of this war we shall be going downhill.  It will not be necessary then to resort every moment to the people for support.  They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded.  They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights.  The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.” 

Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, Query XV11. In American State Papers page 101. 

Can we be perfect in this present sinful world?  What does it mean to be perfect, holy, like Christ?

Does perfection of character mean to live without sinning?

At a recent visit to the doctor’s office with my mom, her doctor made a statement that prompted the discussion for this blog.  He is a kind, wonderful doctor who we have known now for over a decade.  As professed Christians we were speaking about God’s goodness. 

The statement that caught my attention was this. He stated that we must all strive to be perfect in Christ, but of course we will never be perfect because if we become perfect then we would not need Christ.  – So I interpreted this statement to mean that the striving for perfection is what we should do.  When we strive or try it shows that Christ is still needed in our lives.  If we entertain the thought of obtaining perfection of character or sinlessness, then we are saying that Christ is not needed.  Is this true?  What does the word of God say about this topic?

Matthew 5:48 KJV says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

The dictionary’s definition of Perfection is, Being entirely without fault or defect. Flawless.  This is what many think that the bible infers when they read of perfection.  However, that is not what the bible teaches when it speaks of perfection. Bible perfection deals with character and character is the sum of a life which includes truthfulness, integrity, morality, honesty, faithfulness and such like.  This is why a person who could be the vilest criminal, who hears the gospel and is transformed by it, God can deem him perfect based on his transformation of character and being covered by Christ’s righteousness.

Examples of those who achieved such character perfection would be Enoch, Elijah, Moses, the apostles Paul and John.  In the life of these men, the transformation is clearly seen and understood.

He who said, “Let there be light” is the same person that said, “Be ye therefore perfect.” Should we doubt the power of God’s word who said, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55: 11 KJV

Jude 24 KJV, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,”

Psalms 33:9 KJV, “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

Revelation 3:5 KJV, the words of Jesus, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

Christ expects us to be perfect, but we can only become so through Him. Only Christ can make us perfect, but we have to be obedient to his commandments (John 15:10) and by faith believe that we can be like Him because He said it.

It is trusting in the word of God to do what it says as it has always done. Mark 9:23 KJV, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”  We must have faith in His word so that it can accomplish what the word says, in us. Mark 10:27, “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”

So yes, my friend, we can be perfect through Christ. 

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 2:6 KJV.

“Let no one say, I cannot remedy my defects of character.  If you come to this decision, you will certainly fail of obtaining everlasting life.  The impossibility lies in your own will.  If you will not, then you cannot overcome.  The real difficulty arises from the corruption of an unsanctified heart, an unwillingness to submit to the control of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 331.2 

Many say that Christ lived a perfect, sinless life because he was God.  Christ was born into this world, lived as we live from infancy to adulthood.  Hebrews 2: 14-18 KJV, outlined for us Jesus Christ being in sinful, fallen flesh overcoming sin and living a sinless life on earth. He gives us power through His word to do the same. (Please review previous January 2023 blog entitled, Human Nature of Christ). Christ is our example, 1 Peter 2:21 KJV and our pattern, 1 Timothy 1:16 KJV. 

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: ³And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”  1 John 4: 2,3 KJV. See also 2 John 7.

To be without sin is a mystery; but the mystery is Christ dwelling in us. Colossians 1:26,27 KJV, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

To be perfect means to have Christ’s perfect character of righteousness.  Christ will not ask us to do that which He does not give us power to do through His word.  The same power is available to us as was available to Him when He walked this world as a man and depended fully upon His Heavenly Father. 

We are called to have perfect characters.  Characters without spot, without any stain of sin. We are called to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, “ 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 Corinthians 7:1 KJV and  Romans 6:11, 12 KJV, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”

As mentioned before, all things are possible to him that believeth.  Do you believe the word of God?  I certainly do.  We are loved unconditionally and God has made His power available to us to be overcomers of sin if we would but trust Him and surrender our wills to be guided and strengthened in Him. 

I will end with two beautiful quotes from The Desire of Ages (DA).

“…If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image.” DA 302.1

“When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart.  A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself.  It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature.  The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intend that no authority shall be known in it but His own.  A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan.  But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one.” DA 324.1

One day while doing my devotion in the am, I came across a statement, “field sown with pearls”.  Pearls are costly and beautiful gems.  They may be luminous in their beauty, valuable, but are barren of life.  A field sown with pearls can produce no life.  Somehow those words, “field sown with pearls” arrested my attention.  Was my Christian life and experience like a field sown with pearls?  Outward beauty but devoid of life.  Am I just a professed Christian, going to church, reading my bible, having daily prayer and weekly bible studies but not fully surrendered, struggling with obedience?  Am I living a life motivated to tell others about the matchless love of God and His sacrifice to save mankind before it is too late?  Am I living a life of righteousness because Christ abides in me? “ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:..”  John 14:6  Sobering questions. I began to search out answers to these questions. 

Some answers are hard to acknowledge.  Hebrews 4:12 says,” For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. “ However, the truth is very necessary if we are to be overcomers in this battle for our salvation. The answer lies in the fact that our hearts must be changed for our lives to be transformed.  God must do this work for us.

This excerpt helped me with the answer. Christ Object Lessons (COL), Chapter 7, Like unto Leaven:

“Often the question arises, Why, then, are there so many, claiming to believe God’s word, in whom there is not seen a reformation in words, in spirit, and in character? Why are there so many who cannot bear opposition to their purposes and plans, who manifest an unholy temper, and whose words are harsh, overbearing, and passionate? There is seen in their lives the same love of self, the same selfish indulgence, the same temper and hasty speech, that is seen in the life of the worldling. There is the same sensitive pride, the same yielding to natural inclination, the same perversity of character, as if the truth were wholly unknown to them. The reason is that they are not converted. They have not hidden the leaven of truth in the heart. It has not had opportunity to do its work. Their natural and cultivated tendencies to evil have not been submitted to its transforming power. Their lives reveal the absence of the grace of Christ, an unbelief in His power to transform the character. COL 99.1

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. Christ prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth.” John 17:17. If studied and obeyed, the word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin, and the faith that springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us in body, soul, and spirit to His own image. Then God can use us to do His will. The power given us works from within outwardly, leading us to communicate to others the truth that has been communicated to us. COL 100.1

“The truths of the word of God meet man’s great practical necessity—the conversion of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not to be thought too pure and holy to be brought into the daily life. They are truths which reach to heaven and compass eternity, yet their vital influence is to be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all the great things and all the little things of life. COL 100.2

Received into the heart, the leaven of truth will regulate the desires, purify the thoughts, and sweeten the disposition. It quickens the faculties of the mind and the energies of the soul. It enlarges the capacity for feeling, for loving. COL 101.1

The world regards as a mystery the man who is imbued with this principle. The selfish, money-loving man lives only to secure for himself the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world. He loses the eternal world from his reckoning. But with the follower of Christ these things will not be all-absorbing. For Christ’s sake he will labor and deny self, that he may aid in the great work of saving souls who are without Christ and without hope in the world. Such a man the world cannot understand; for he is keeping in view eternal realities. The love of Christ with its redeeming power has come into the heart. This love masters every other motive, and raises its possessor above the corrupting influence of the world. COL 101.2

The word of God is to have a sanctifying effect on our association with every member of the human family. The leaven of truth will not produce the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first. True, heaven-born love is not selfish and changeable. It is not dependent on human praise. The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. He does not love others because they love and please him, because they appreciate his merits, but because they are Christ’s purchased possession. If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God. COL 101.3

The apostle exhorts us, “As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15, 16. The grace of Christ is to control the temper and the voice. Its working will be seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind, encouraging words. An angel presence is in the home. The life breathes a sweet perfume, which ascends to God as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering. COL 102.1

The countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments. Truth is written there. The sweet peace of heaven is revealed. There is expressed a habitual gentleness, a more than human love. COL 102.2

The leaven of truth works a change in the whole man, making the coarse refined, the rough gentle, the selfish generous. By it the impure are cleansed, washed in the blood of the Lamb. Through its life-giving power it brings all there is of mind and soul and strength into harmony with the divine life. Man with his human nature becomes a partaker of divinity. Christ is honored in excellence and perfection of character. As these changes are effected, angels break forth in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude. COL 102.3

The closing gem: The answer is revealed.

“As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. No mere external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God. There are many who try to reform by correcting this or that bad habit, and they hope in this way to become Christians, but they are beginning in the wrong place. Our first work is with the heart. COL 97.1

A profession of faith and the possession of truth in the soul are two different things. The mere knowledge of truth is not enough. We may possess this, but the tenor of our thoughts may not be changed. The heart must be converted and sanctified. COL 97.2

Amen!

Hello to all our family in Christ.  I have been thoroughly enjoying my devotion in the morning reading the book, Living by Faith.  I have shared some excerpts from this book and I will continue to do so because I have found blessings in each chapter that are so worth sharing.  This blog is no exception.  This is the chapter, The Healing Touch from Living By Faith.  May you be as richly blessed as I was with the message that God has in His word, especially for you.

            One of the most striking miracles of Jesus is told in the following few words: 

“And it came to pass when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy; who seeing Jesus, fell on his face and besought Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.  And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean.  And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Luke 5:12, 13.

            Leprosy was one of the most loathsome and dreaded diseases known to the people.  The leper was an outcast, compelled to keep away from even his own family.  The disease was a slow, progressive death; the victim’s body becoming increasingly deformed until death ended his misery. 

            No other disease more aptly illustrates the defilement of sin; and this man, who was full of leprosy, very closely resembled the description given of the people, by the prophet Isaiah:  “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint, from the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it; but wounds and bruises, and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”  So, as you study the miracle of the cleansing of the leper, you can learn how to obey the direction, “Be thou clean.” 

            In the first place, the leper had confidence in the power of the Lord to heal him.  He said, “Thou canst make me clean.”  That is a great point.  Very few really believe that Jesus Christ can cleanse them from sin.  They will admit that He can save from sin in general – that He can save others – but they are not convinced that He can save them.  Let such learn a lesson from the power of the Lord.  Hear what the prophet Jeremiah said by inspiration of the Holy Spirit: “Ah Lord God! Behold Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.”  Jeremiah 32:27. 

            He who brought the heavens and the earth into existence by the power of His word, can do all things.  “Our God is in the heavens; He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.” Psalms 115:3. “…His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness…”  2 Peter 1:3. “He is able also to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.”  Hebrews 7:25. Christ has given “power over all flesh.”  John 17:2. 

            So much for His power! Of that the leper was assured; but he was not sure that the Lord was willing to cleanse him.  He said, “Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”  You don’t need to be hesitant like that.  You know that He can, and He has given you ample assurance of His willingness.  You read that Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”  Galatians 1:4. It is the will of God that you should be sanctified.  1 Thessalonians 4:3. 

            Christ comprises everything.  He is “the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:24.  All things in heaven and in earth are in Him.  Colossians 1:16, 17.  Therefore the Apostle Paul says: “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”  Romans 8:32. The willingness of God to cleanse you from sin, is shown in the gift of His only begotten Son for that purpose. 

            “These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the son of God.  And this is the boldness which we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us; and if we know that He heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him.”  1 John 5:13-15. R.V.  so we may “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16, knowing that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 2:9. 

            But the most striking feature of this miracle is the fact that Jesus touched the leper.  There was not another person in all the land, who would have come within a yard of him.  But Jesus “put forth His hand, and touched him.”  With that touch the hateful disease vanished. 

            It is worth noting that in very many cases Jesus touched those whom He healed.  When Peter’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, Jesus “touched her hand, and the fever left her.”  Matthew 8:15. That same evening, “all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them.”  Luke 4:40. In His own country the people were so unbelieving that “He could there do no might work, save that He laid His hands on a few sick folk, and healed them.”  Mark 6:5. 

            In Matthew we are assured that this healing of the sick was “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.”  Matthew 8:17. R.V.  You know that healing went from Him to the suffering ones who thronged about Him to touch Him (Luke 6:19); and this Scripture assures you that He received into His own person their diseases, in exchange for His healing power. 

            Now you have the blessed assurance that although He has “passed into the heavens,” He has not lost His sympathy with you, but is still “…touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”  Hebrews 4:15. He comes close to you in pity, because “…He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”  Psalms 103:14.   In all your sin and degradation, you may have the inspiring thought that Jesus does not despise you, and is not ashamed to come into the closest companionship with you, in order that He may help you. 

            The prophet, speaking of God’s dealing with ancient Israel, said, “In all their afflictions He was afflicted.”  Isaiah 63:9. It is still the same now.  As an eagle bears her young on her wings, so the Lord puts Himself under you, bearing all your sin and sorrow.  He takes it on Himself, and in Him it is lost, by the same process by which at the last “He will swallow up death in victory.”  1 Corinthians 15:54. 

            Christ took on Himself the curse, in order that the blessing might come on us.  Galatians 3:13, 14.  Although He knew no sin, He was made to be sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  2 Corinthians 5:21. He suffered the death to which you were doomed, that you might share His life.  And this exchange is made when you come into touch with Him, by confessing that “…Jesus Christ is come in the flesh…” 1 John 4:2.  How much you lose by holding Jesus off as a stranger, or by regarding faith in Him as a theory.  When you know that He identifies Himself with you in your fallen condition, taking on Himself, and from you, your infirmities, how precious becomes the assurance, “…Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”  Matthew 28:20.   After reading, can you see why I had to share this with you?  Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, is very near.  Let’s take advantage of His desire to be one with us before it is too late. 

The following is an excerpt from my morning devotion from Living by Faith.

Imagine a bird that has been caught and shut up in a cage.  It longs for freedom, but the cruel bars make that impossible.  Then the door is opened.  The bird sees the opening, but has so often been deceived in its attempts to gain its freedom, that it hesitates.  It hops down and finds that the prison really is open, trembles a moment for very joy at the thought of liberty, then spreads its wings and wheels through the air with such rapture as can only be known by one who has been captive.  “Free indeed!”  As free as a bird.

The words of Jesus, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18, 19.

The whole import of the text is that Christ came to give freedom in every sense of the word.  It is charged with the idea of liberty to an extent that few realize.  You will be amply repaid for a few minutes of studying it closely, and for many hours of meditating on it later. 

Sin is bondage.  Jesus said, “Verily, Verily I say unto you, every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin.”  John 8:34.  Not only are you in bondage, but you are in prison.  The Apostle Paul says, “The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up into the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”  Galatians 3:22, 23.  The word “concluded” means “shut up together.”  All sinners are in bondage, shup up together in prison, condemned to hard labor. 

The end of sin is death.  James 1:15.  Consequently you are not only shut up in prison, condemned to hard, unprofitable labor, but you have the fear of death continually before you.  It is from this that Christ delivers you.  See Hebrews 2:14, 15.  “For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death.”  Psalms 102:19, 20.  Christ says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36. 

This is the liberty with which Christ frees the captive of sin.  The Psalmist had that experience and said “Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers, the snare is broken, and we are escaped.” Psalms 124:7.  This is the experience of every one who truly and without reserve accepts Christ. 

It is the truth that gives this freedom; for Christ says, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32.  He is the truth, and His word is truth.  The Psalmist says, “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is the truth.” Psalms 119:142.  “I will walk at liberty, for I seek Thy precepts.” Psalms 119:45.  From the margin, this is literally, “I will walk in a broad place, for I seek Thy precepts. “  This fits with verse 96:  “I have seen and end of all perfection; but Thy commandment is exceeding broad.”  The commandments of God form an exceedingly broad place in which all may walk who seek them.  They are the truth, and it is the truth that gives freedom.

The law of God was, and is, in the heart of Christ.  Psalms 40:8.  Out of the heart are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23); therefore the life of Christ is the law of God.  When you attempt to keep the law in your own strength, you invariably get into bondage, just as surely as though you willfully broke the law.  The only difference is that in the latter case you are a willing slave, while in the former you are an unwilling slave.  In Christ alone the perfect righteousness of the law is found, and therefore His life is “the perfect law of liberty,” into which we are told to continually look.  James 1:25; Hebrews 12:2.  The law that shuts you up to certain death when you are out of Christ, becomes life and liberty to you when you are in Christ. 

The liberty which Christ gives you is the liberty of your soul.  It is liberty from the bondage of sin.  That, and that alone is real religious liberty.  It is not found anywhere but in the religion of Jesus Christ.  When you have that liberty, you are free even in a prison cell.  The slave who has it is infinitely more at liberty than his cruel master, even if the master is a king.  Who is there who does not want liberty that is something more than a name?

And now one more word of encouragement to you if you are the slave of sin and are heartsick because of your bondage, and are discouraged through the failure of your repeated attempts to escape.  Freedom is yours, if you will but take it.  Read again the words of Christ, which are living words today.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”  Isaiah 61:1, 2. 

What is that?  Liberty has already been proclaimed.  Your prison doors are already open, and you only have to believe it, and walk out, continually believing it.  Christ is today proclaiming liberty to you, for He has broken the snare, and loosed the bonds.  Psalms 116:16.  He tells you that He has opened your prison door, so that you may walk at liberty, if you will only walk by faith in Him.  It is faith that opens the door to you when you are shut up in sin.  Believe His word, declare yourself free in His name, and then by humble faith stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made you free.  Then you will know the blessedness of the assurance:

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31.

As I view the world today, the Word of God – the Scriptures, the Bible – are pushed further and further away.  Even the current Pope stated that the Bible as written, is no longer relevant.  Is this true? 

For those of us who believe that the Bible contains the inspired words of God, though written so many centuries ago, it is very relevant to our present salvation.  I wrote a blog on March 28, 2021 entitled, “Don’t Be Ashamed of the Bible”.  It would be a good thing to review it. 

The question that I now ask is, “Can We Outgrow the Scriptures?  I found the answer while doing my devotion.  I will share an excerpt with you from the chapter entitled, Present Salvation, found in Living by Faith.  This book is a compiled selection of E. J. Waggoner’s and A. T. Jones’ writings on Faith by Nora Roth. 

Present Salvation

God inhabits eternity so that all time is present with Him, so all His promises and blessings for you are in the present tense.  This makes Him “a very present help in trouble,” for you can only live in the present.  You cannot live one moment in the future.  You expect things in the future, and have hope of things to come, but the present is all that you can ever have, for when the things come that you hope for, they will be present.  The things which you have reason to hope for in the future, will be the continuation of the things which you have now.  All things are in Christ, and His promise is, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”  Matthew 28:20. 

The Apostle Paul blessed God because He “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 1:3. The promises of God for the future must be present realities to you, if you ever receive any benefit from them.  “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20.  It is by these “exceeding great and precious promises” that you are made “partakers of the Divine nature.”  The glories of the world to come will be but the revealing of that which you have now in the personal presence within you of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The only hope of glory is Christ in you. 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  Hebrews 13:8. The word of God “liveth and abideth forever.”  1 Peter 1:23. You do not have to deal with a dead word, which was spoken so long ago that there is no more force in it, but with a word which has the same life as though it were just spoken. 

Indeed, it is of benefit to you only when you receive it as spoken directly and personally to you.  “When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”  1 Thessalonians 2:13. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…”  2 Timothy 3:16.   It is all in the present. 

For this reason, you can never outgrow the Scriptures.  There is not a single text in the Bible that has become obsolete.  There is none that the Christian of the longest experience has outgrown, so that he has no need of it.  There is none that can be laid aside.  The text which brings you to the Savior, is the text which is ever needed to keep you there.  And although your mind has expanded, and your spiritual sight has been greatly strengthened the word still has meaning because every word of God is of infinite depth.  So as your mind expands, the word means more to you than it did in the beginning. 

The universe appears much greater to the astronomer than it does to someone who has never looked through a telescope.  You look at the stars with your eyes and they seem very far off.  Then you look at them through a powerful telescope and although you can see so much farther with it, the distance to the stars seems to be very much greater than it did with your limited vision.  So the more you become acquainted with the word of God, the greater it becomes.  The promises of God, which seemed so exceedingly great when they first appeared to you, become much more exceedingly great the more you consider them and apply them. 

The word of God is a light shining in a dark place.  2 Peter 1:19. It is the revelation of Christ, who is the Light of the world, therefore it is a lamp.  Psalms 119:105; Proverbs 6:23. We have heard of the young sailor who was left in charge of the helm, with instructions to hold the ship’s head straight toward a certain star, which was pointed out to him, and who, in a few hours, called the captain and said that he wanted another star to steer by, as he had sailed past the first one given him.  What was the trouble?  He had turned the ship round and was sailing away from the star.  So, it is with those who say that they have outgrown certain portions of the Bible.  The trouble is that they have turned their backs on it. 

What is the Gospel?  “It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”  Romans 1:16. It is present power applied to your salvation when you have present faith.  From what does the power of God save you?  Jesus is the power of God and it was said of Him, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  1 Timothy 1:15. The Gospel is the power of God to save you from sin.  But it is present power, for sin is ever present.  Its power is applied only while you are believing.  “The just shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:17. The moment you cease to believe, then you are a sinner, just the same as if you had never believed. Yesterday’s faith will not answer for today, any more than your breathing yesterday will keep you alive today. 

The message of the Lord to you immediately before His coming is, “Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.”  Revelation 3:17. Have you outgrown this text?  No.  The blessing comes to you as you acknowledge the truth of the Lord’s charge; then the Lord will come to you to supply all your needs.  It is when you say, “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner,” that you go down to your home justified. 

And it is only as you continue to utter that prayer, that you are justified.  “For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”  Luke 18:14. The apostle says: “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 Timothy 1:15. Note that he does not say, “Of whom I was chief;” but “of whom I am chief.”  And it was when he acknowledged himself to be the chief of sinners, that the mercy and longsuffering of God was exhibited in him as the chief. 

Some wonder whether a Christian ought to sing these lines in Wesley’s blessed hymn:

                        “Just and holy is Thy name,

                        I am all unrighteousness;

                        Vile and full of sin I am;

                        Thou art full of truth and grace.”

If you think that you have outgrown those lines you are in a pitiable condition, for you are shutting yourself off from the source of righteousness.  “There is none good, but One; that is God.”  Matthew 19:17. Therefore, whatever righteousness is ever exhibited in you must only be the righteousness of God.  It is only when you acknowledge your own sinfulness, that you will lay hold on the righteousness of God that is by faith of Christ.  It is only by the obedience of One that you are made righteous.  Romans 5:19. And that One is Christ. 

End of excerpt.

“In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God…All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”  John 1:1-3.  “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” John 1:14.  This Word is Jesus Christ.

As clearly outlined above, the word of God stands and will, forever.  We cannot outgrow the inspired words of the Bible.  God cannot lie, Titus 1:2, therefore, when God speaks it is only truth and life. 

 ^“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9 

^“ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  Romans 10:10

In a recent bible study we looked at what is an “acceptable” confession.  We realized that through the years of our Christian walk, there are things in our lives that are difficult to overcome.  We prayed and asked God to forgive and promised in our heart that we would not do these things again.  Then it seems in an unguarded moment, the same thing that we prayed about and felt that we had given up, raised its ugly head again and we do it again.  We feel that we have failed God and ourselves. Didn’t we pray and ask God to take it away? Some of us settle into the belief that God will understand because this must be our nature, we are just sinners and it cannot be helped.  Once we are saved, we will always be saved, because His grace covers us. 

Paul mentioned this experience in Romans 7:14, 15.  “¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.¹⁵ For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” 

However, Paul also admitted in verses 16 and 17, that this experience occurred because sin stilled dwelled within.  “¹⁶ If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

Matthew 1:21 states, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

We are saved from our sins, not in our sins.  So then, why this struggle?  God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse as mentioned in 1 John 1:9.  The issue then must be with our confession of our sins. Have we made an “acceptable” confession?

Please follow the following study from an excerpt from the booklet, Acceptable Confession by F.T. Wright:

Every time you as a professing Christian, kneel in prayer, it should be safe enough to say that in that prayer you make a confession of sin and plead forgiveness for that sin, or those sins. Then you arise from your knees taking it fully for granted that God has heard that prayer and your sin is forgiven.

There can be nothing more certain than that He has heard your prayer and forgiven you of your sins, provided you have fully met the simple conditions required for acceptable confession. It is equally certain than that He has not forgiven you if you have failed to fulfill all the conditions, even though you may be completely satisfied that you have been fully pardoned. That may come as a startling statement, but it is simple, solid, Bible truth. Although very few realize it, thousands of professing Christians happily believe their sins are all forgiven, when in fact they are not, and while they think they have been relieved of the full responsibility, they are actually still carrying the whole load themselves. Anybody living in this situation is in fearful peril, because, although he thinks he is safe and secure in the salvation of God, he does not in reality have that security at all. We are warned in the Word of God: Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.”

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In this promise, God plainly offers us two essential blessings: the blessing of pardon and the blessing of cleansing, for the text expressly says: ⁹ He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Is He reluctant to perform this work? Oh, no! On the contrary, He is most anxious to do it. He longs to do it. His whole great heart of love is drawn out with the most inexpressible desire that His people will come to freely and fully receive the gift in overflowing abundance as we read: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.”

His hands are full of the great blessings that He longs and desires to bestow upon you. But He is bound to act only in righteousness and therefore He can give to us absolutely nothing of what He so much yearns to give if we do not fulfill the simple conditions. The one and only barrier to receiving all that heaven is waiting to bestow is our failure to understand and to comply with the simple conditions laid down in His Word.

The condition required to receive pardon and cleansing is that we confess the sin. The promise is that if we will do that, God will both pardon and cleanse. But there are two types of confession. There is a true confession which fulfills the requirements of righteousness, and there is a so-called confession which is in nowise acceptable to God, and therefore does not open the door for Him to give the blessings He so much desires to give.

How may I know that my confession has been of a character which is acceptable to God and will bring the promised blessings? The answer is right here in the verse itself. We have only to read the verse to see the answer. “If we confess” we will have fulfilled the one condition whereby the way will be open for God to do two wonderful works for us: pardon us and cleanse us. The fulfillment of the one condition is all that is necessary for the fulfillment of both promises because the text does not say:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and then if we do something more, He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

It says that if we will confess, He will forgive and cleanse. When God makes a promise, He means what He says and is faithful and just to do all that He has promised to do. He will never fulfill only a part of His promise, but will always fulfill the whole.

 Once the conditions of acceptable confession have been fulfilled, He will do all that He has promised, which is to both pardon and to cleanse from all the unrighteousness which has been confessed. He will do all or nothing.

It is not only the sin that we should ask for forgiveness, but also Our Sinful Nature.  The evil spirit that we possess within us must also be confessed.  We must confess the known sin and the unknown sin.  We must ask the Lord to take this evil nature that is within us and usher it out of us that we may not even entertain the thought of doing it again.  We must hate sin just as we hate vomit.  Most people ask for forgiveness of the sins that they do, while they fail to realize that what they do is only the result of what they are.  We must confess our sinful nature.  One makes the mistake in not seeing that to ask forgiveness of what he has done without giving up what he is, is useless and will bring him no cleansing from that sin.

It is important that we understand what is meant by “SIN”, because remission or putting away of sin is the work to be accomplished (sanctification).  Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ.”  Galatians 2:20.

Did he really mean that he had died? Yes, he really meant that he actually died.  Did he hang on the cross with Christ? Did his human life cease to exist and did he go down to the grave?  No, he did not mean that, because he was not referring to his flesh and blood body, but to sinful life, the carnal nature, the evil propensity, the character of Satan in him.  That is what had been crucified and taken out of the way. 

If you have not experienced cleansing of soul from the sin itself and yet calmly believe that your confession has been such as to have brought you pardon and the hope of eternal life, you are “leaning upon a false hope.” Unless you are awakened out of this deadly complacency to know what real Christian experience is, you will join with those, who having taught the truth with energy, will weep and wail when they come up to the plagues and then see that they are lost.

How desperately few know what a real Christian experience is. Every single one of us knows how perfectly natural it is for human beings by very nature to do the wrong thing, even after we have become professing children of God and members of the Church.

But do we realize that to become a Christian means to become so cleansed from sin that it is unnatural to do the evil that we once did, and natural to do the right which was so unnatural before? This is the experience which truly acceptable confession will bring.

Beloved, much human effort is required to overcome sin.  Too many people we fear are looking forward to some great work to be done in the future which will free them from the power of sin in this life.  This is a most dangerous position to take for no such great work will be done in the future when the fullness of the cleansing power of the spirit is available Right Now. We have a work to do for ourselves that no one can do for us.  Jesus died for us back on Calvary, but that death will do us no good unless we enter into it ourselves.

Summary:

The Holy Spirit reveals to us that real problem, the really unknown sin, is what we are, and not what we do.  It is essential that this be seen and understood.  We must have faith to believe that the Lord will take away the actual spirit within us and give us a new spirit altogether.  We must give up that sin.  If we hang on to it, the Lord cannot and will not take it.  Now, if you find it hard to surrender that sin, then ask the Lord to give you a willing heart, to make you hate that sin. 

After this study, you can imagine how we felt.  Probably the same as you after reading this. We were all very pensive and with much introspection.  The truth of making an acceptable confession came home to us.  What an experience will be ours in this Christian walk when we make confessions that are acceptable unto the Lord. Amen.

There were three small trees growing in the forest and they were talking together. 
The first tree said, “I want to be a treasure chest and carry great treasure.” 
The second tree said, “I am strong and I want to be a great ship, sail the oceans and carry kings.” 
The third tree said, “I want to stay in the forest and grow tall so that when people stop to look at me, they will look up to the sky and think of God.”
As days passed, the rain fell, the sun shone, and the trees grew strong and tall.  One day three woodcutters came into the forest and they came to the trees.  The first woodcutter came to the first tree and liked it, then with one swing of his axe, chopped down the first tree.  The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and realized it was the one he wanted, so he swung his axe and chopped down the tree.  The third tree was scared and prayed that the woodcutter would look at it and think of God.  But the woodcutter did not care which tree he got, so he swung his axe and the third tree was cut down. 
The first tree was not made into a beautiful chest as he desired to carry great treasure, but instead into a trough for feeding animals.  Hay and grain were placed inside of it to feed the animals. 
The second tree was not made into a beautiful strong ship to carry kings, but into a small fishing boat instead. 
The third tree which did not want to leave the forest was placed in a yard with other pieces of lumber and it seemed forgotten.  
Then one cold night as a bright star shone in the sky, fresh hay was placed into the feeding trough and a baby was placed inside.  Then men from the East appeared, saying they followed the bright star that shone in the sky.  They placed gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh before the trough where the baby laid.  Then the first tree knew that his dream had come true because he was holding the greatest treasure on earth, —the baby, Jesus.(See Luke 2:1-14)
As years passed, there was a great storm and the tree that had become the little fishing boat believed that it was going to sink. The men in the boat were very afraid,  but one of the passengers seemed to be not concerned at all as he lay sleeping, until the other men woke him up to tell him that the boat was about to sink.  This passenger stood up and said, “Peace be still” and the winds stopped and the waters were calm.  Then the second tree realized that his dream did come true because he not only carried a king, but he carried the “King of Kings”.
(See Matthew 8:23-27 and Mark 4:35-41)
The third tree had remained in the yard for a long time and thought that it was forgotten until one day it was pulled up and carved into two great pieces.  It was carried through the streets and a shouting mob followed. Then it was shocked when a man was nailed to it.  It was then placed on a hill. Then the third tree realized, after so many years that his dream had come true; because whenever people think of the cross, they remember God.  (John 19:10-22)

“But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay.”  Desire of Ages (DA) 32.1
This was a story that I heard when I was very young but I remembered it.  It made an impression upon me at that time for some reason and I remember going home and writing it down, as much as I could remember, so that I would not forget it. 
Luke 18:6, “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” 
The same is said in Mark 10:14 and Matthew 19:14.
This world will only continue for so long, but Jesus is coming again to take those who are faithful to him, including children, to heaven to live for an eternity. 
Children are never too young to know about Jesus, his life and sacrifice.  The word of God in Deuteronomy 6:7 said, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
As workers for God, our work is to begin with those nearest. It is to begin in our own home. There is no more important missionary field than this. Periodical: Australasian Union Conference Report (AUCR) June 1, 1900, par. 6
God designs that the families of earth shall be a symbol of the family of heaven. Christian homes, established and conducted in accordance with His plan, are among His most effective agencies for the formation of Christian character. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 7
In the home the foundation is laid for the prosperity of the church. The influences that rule in the home life are carried into the church life. Church duties are to begin in the house. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 8
Christ died to save the children, and he is ready to do a great work for them if parents will co-operate with Him by training and educating them according to His instruction. While parents should be firm in requiring respect and obedience, they should make the religion of Christ attractive by their cheerfulness, their Christian courtesy, their tender, compassionate sympathy. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 9
Christ was once a little child. For His sake honour the children. Look upon them as a sacred charge, not to be petted and idolized but to be taught to live pure, noble lives. They are God’s property. He loves them, and He calls upon you to co-operate with Him in teaching them to form perfect characters. The Lord requires perfection from His redeemed family. He expects from us the perfection which Christ revealed in His humanity. Fathers and mothers especially need to understand the best methods of training children that they may co-operate with God. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 10
Submission and surrender to Christ are the most effective lessons that children and youth can learn. The rules which should regulate the lives of parents and children flow from a heart of infinite love, and God’s rich blessing will rest upon those parents who administer His law in their homes, and it will rest upon those children by whom this law is obeyed. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 11
Children should be taught that they are a part of the home firm. They are fed, and clothed, and loved, and cared for, and they should respond to their many mercies by bearing their share of the family burdens, and bringing into the home all the happiness possible. By the law of mutual dependence they are to be taught dependence upon the great Head of the Church. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 12
And God calls upon fathers and mothers to become intelligent in regard to the laws which govern physical life. Children must be taught to make a right use of the things of this life, and to avoid the use of everything that would injure the powers of mind or body. They should be taught that every organ of the body and every faculty of the mind is the gift of a good and wise God, and is to be used to His Glory. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 13
In the home the Saviour is to be uplifted, thought of, talked of. When He dwells in the heart, family worship will not be a form of dry, set phrases. The heart will be imbued with love for Jesus. This love will be expressed in prayer and praise. Words of discouragement and hopelessness will not be spoken. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 14
Let the members of every family bear in mind that they are closely allied to heaven. The Lord has a special interest in the families of His children here below. Angels offer the smoke of the fragrant incense for the praying saints. Then in every family let prayer ascend to heaven both at morning and at the cool sunset hour, in our behalf presenting before God the Saviour’s merits. Morning and evening the heavenly universe takes notice of every praying household. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 15
Let parents teach their little ones the truth as it is in Jesus. The children in their simplicity will repeat to their associates that which they have learned. In Christ’s day the children sang in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” So in these days children’s voices will be raised in giving the last warning to a perishing world. By them God’s message will be made known, and His saving health to all nations. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 16
The children can take a part in medical missionary work. They can do many things to help the sick and suffering, and by their offerings they can aid in carrying forward the work. By the efforts of children and youth many souls will be won to the truth. And the children themselves will be forming characters after Christ’s similitude, in preparation to dwell forever in His presence. AUCR June 1, 1900, par. 17