The Source Of Truth And Knowledge Of God,

And His So Great Salvation:

Having received an introduction into the Mystery of God that has been so elusive to man, let us pursue parts of it to gain a better insight. The Old and New Testament writers tell us the purpose of the Sacred writings, and direct our approach to reading and study.

The collection of writings that have been compiled in one volume, called the Bible, is a book, both the Christian and the Jew hold in great regard. To the Jew, it consists of the books of the Law, and the Prophets, and the Psalms. For the Christian, ( one who falls under the distinction of, "A True Believer in the mystery of God, unveiled in the Person of Jesus Christ,") it is the full and entire fulfillment of the long promised Messiah of God to Israel and the world. The good news of salvation, (New Life, Eternal Life,) has come to us through Him. He is, "THE LIFE", and is received by, Faith Alone in Jesus Christ Alone. This Life is of a different, and an over-coming, enduring, quality, than the life inherited from the fathers, whether you be Jew or Gentile.

The Bible consists of the First Testament, given to us by God, through the Jew or Prophets of Israel. It also includes the writings of Believers, chosen by the Son of God, to bear witness to His miraculous birth, life, death, and resurrection and ascension, and His Gift of the Holy Spirit, all in accordance with the Word of the Promise as recorded by the Prophets of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Apostles of Jesus were commissioned to proclaim the Good News, and some of them wrote and some of their writings have been preserved, according to the wisdom and sustaining power of God the Holy Spirit. The whole Mystery was unveiled to Paul, and He was given a special ministry to the Gentile. Rom. 11:13, "But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles, in as much as I am an Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow-countrymen and save some of them." These writings are called The New Testament, and make up the whole of the Bible.

The Bible is the only source of enlightenment to the existence of God, the nature of God, and the purpose of God, that mankind has in his possession. Every person or group of persons that has been encountered, or confronted, or whose culture or way of life has been studied, is found to have an innate knowledge of God, but not all choose to recognize Him as Sovereign Spirit Being. The Bible is the only source by which mankind has gained a true knowledge of God and His Objective Purpose for mankind and the Universe. Mankind has exchanged, (traded it off in behalf of spurious teachings), the revelation he has been given of God, by God Himself, as is recorded in the Bible. And he has devised god's of a different Character than God, which are only Caricatures of the True God. Rom. 1:20-25, and 28, "For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, (His Sovereignty and Deity,)have been clearly seen,being understood by what has been made, so that they, (mankind) are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them up to the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, (hold God in their knowledge ), God gave them over to a depraved mind, ( A mind that no longer functioned in the manner God meant it to,) to do those things which are not proper."

It is evident on every hand that intellectual man has rejected this assessment of himself by God, and has set himself up as an authority of God. He has taken it upon himself to determine what is true about God's revelation of Himself, and what is not true. He shows by his very actions, and his approach to God, that he thinks of himself as an authority on how he and his fellowmen can have a relationship with God, even though it is contradictory to every thing God has proclaimed in His Word.

To the true believer these writings are God inspired, God Breathed, Spirit of God given, for the purpose of God revealing to mankind, how He, God, can be known by a race of men who have lost the true sense of God Consciousness. Embodied in these writings is the great mystery of life that has been so elusive to natural, intellectual man throughout his sojourn here on earth. In these writings, all is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. Numerous libraries, filled with volumes about the Bible, on every conceivable approach imaginable to the mind of natural man, exists throughout the world. Only those, written from a true heart of faith, in a living vital, corporate union of abiding in Christ, the Living Word of God made flesh, are of any real value in bringing mankind from darkness into the Light of Life as it is revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, John 8:31-32, "If you abide in My Word, and My Word's abide in you, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free," For He is the Way the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father, but through Him.

What a sad epitaph, to have written over the graveyards of this earth. "Here lie millions, who did not choose to be chosen as one of His disciples, and there-by enter into eternal life. They chose to believe a lie,(to believe in themselves, ) rather than the Word of the Sovereign God.

By rejecting the way of faith that leads to New Life, man allows himself to be deceived into a false way, which he call's, (believing in ones self.) although he recognizes his own weaknesses, failures, and inability in making lasting changes by his own efforts. He continues on through life, generation after generation in his darkened state, and only a few out of every generation, become a part of the Remnant of God's Redeemed. He is captivated by an ill conceived idea, that if he just tries hard enough and long enough, he just might stumble on the right solution to solving his Problems.

No matter how many times mankind fails in one attempt after another, he insists on concocting one program or endeavor after another, each time refusing to acknowledge his failures. The one simple reason for all this is spiritual blindness. Most of what is going on in the organized church of today falls into this category. The whole Bible narrative is an account of God's effort to lead mankind down the right pathway of life. That which he earns for himself in refusing to be led, is the judgment that was pronounced upon Adam's act of disobedience--death ! Rom.6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Faced with the alternative at every juncture along life's pathway, God, has continually held up before mankind two choices; Life and Death, Blessing and Cursing; God's Way or man's way. The Bible is the record of God endeavoring to lead, and man's failure to follow.

The first account is with Adam, then Cain, then the multitudes at the time of the flood, in the days of Noah. Next, Noah's son's and their history, in the days and actions of "Shem, and his brothers, then Abraham. From there on the way of faith as opposed to unbelief, becomes more distinct; until Jesus, who was the perfecter of faith, as the only successful way to live here on this earth, and on into eternity. Heb. 12:1-2, "Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God."

Here-in lies the dividing, discerning, and enlightening work of the Word of God, if it is apprehended in the proper manner. When the fullness of the Truth of God's Word is entered into by faith, it is the Power of God, resulting salvation.(i.e.the living reality of a new quality of Life,) engendered by the Holy Spirit of God. He,Who is given to all who believe, from the Heart, in Him,

The Salvation,the Word of God offers,is a complete deliverance from all entanglements of bondage, and enslavement of Body and Soul, into the freedom and liberty of the Son of God. Gal. 1:3-5, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forevermore." Amen." Gal. 5:1,"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." John 6:36, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

That which mankind, (except for the remnant that God has always reserved for Himself,) has failed to realize, and consequently failed to teach, is that in order to be saved, or justified unto eternal Life, he must be saved from the old life at the same time he exercises faith to receive the New Life. The New Life, cannot be super-imposed, upon the old. This note of teaching was made clear by Jesus to the Jew of His day even though they were descendants of Abraham through natural lineage. Luke 9:23-24. "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." Luke 16:11-13, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous Mammon, (physical material wealth of this world, as well as the way we have lived our lives,) who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon," (the systems of this world.) We all have misused the blessings, God has bestowed upon us in the natural world into which we have been born. All have sinned, (failed to live our lives to the glory of God.) Hear the Apostle Paul as he evaluates the New Realm into which he had been placed, upon becoming united with Jehovah, his God in Jesus Christ. 2Cor. 5:14-21, "For the love of Christ controls , (constrains),us ,having concluded, (evaluated ) this, that one died for all, therefore all died, and He died for all, that they who live should not live for themselves, (appease our own natural desires,) but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (Live according to the will of God and for His Glory.) Therefore from now on though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. (The physical man, Jesus, died. A New Man, rose from the dead, a New Creation came into being.) Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a New Creature; the old things passed away; behold, New things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of recon-ciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating you through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 1Cor. 1:30-31, "But by His doing are you in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that , just as it is written, "Let Him who Boasts, Boast, in the Lord."

We are all familiar with constraints, handcuffs, strait-jackets, etc. consider Paul's analogy. After considering that which God had done for him and to him, by giving His Son in his place, he now found himself bound by, Cord's of Love,( God's Love for him). In this Spirit of mind, he writes the greatest and most profound analysis of the Message of Good News to the world, that has ever come from God, through mortal man; to mortal man. But of course, since this was Spiritually Inspired, it can only be Spiritually Discerned.

When this truth is apprehended, it leaves no doubt as to what God means when He say's, "This is the Way walk you in it." Based on this cautionary note, mankind ought to pay heed. Heb. 3:18-4:3, "And to whom did He swear, that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Therefore, let us fear lest while a promise remains of entering His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it, for indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word, they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest; just as He said."

In the record, we learn from God, the truth of ourselves, and the way in which man committed the error, that caused him to lose the Way. This error has brought much sorrow, loss of life, suffering and destruction, upon himself and the creation around him. Every action that God has ever taken was for letting man-kind know His intentions ahead of time. It was also for the purpose of giving man a choice of whether he wanted to be a part of God's purpose for him or whether he would choose according to his own will, and go his own way.

Here-in lies the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Man was so constituted, that he has always been free to make his own choices, but he is also constituted a responsible being. He must face the fact sometime in his lifetime that he must take the responsibility for his own actions. This he has never been able to do, and it is more evident today than at any time in history. In all of the record, at every interval, we are shown by God, what His will is, and how man exercised his will in opposition to it. Finally when Jesus arrived, speaking as no man had ever spoken before, He brought to light, in living reality, absolute willing obedience, He made clear to believing hearts, the truth of a willing heart. John 6:36-40, "But I said to you, that you have seen Me and yet you do not believe. All that the Father gives to Me shall come to Me, and the one who cones to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of My father, that every one who beholds the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. Ver. 43a, and 44-47, "Jesus answered and said to them,; 'No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God' . Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God, He has seen the Father. Truly, Truly, I say to you, he who believes, has eternal life. Ver. 48, "I am the bread of Life."

In the writings of both the old and New Testament, we are told, these are spiritual truths, and reveal a spiritual being. At the conclusion of the discourse on His being the Bread of Life and the need for all to partake of Him, the people sitting under His teaching, questioned. John 6:60b-63. "This is a difficult statement; who can hear it? But Jesus conscious that his disciples grumbled at this, said to them, 'Does this cause you to stumble? What then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives Life; the flesh profits nothing; the Word's I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are Life."

God is Spirit, Who is all knowing, all powerful and ever aware of all of man's activities. He is involved with every area of man's lives, and is aware of the manner in which mankind deals with life's circumstances. The writings reveal that this Being, termed God, is compassionate, kind, merciful, loving and long suffering with His creation. All of these characteristics, (attributes), combined reveal a determined and purposeful God, who will in no way fall short in keeping His commitments to His creation.

We learn from the Bible, that man counts God a failure in bringing to pass that which He has proclaimed. Man is convinced that he must help God out in completing His Plan for the world. Observe once again the numbers of zealous, (but not according to knowledge) professing believers that are making plans and devising schemes by which to help God usher in the new millennium. The great lesson yet to be learned by mankind is that, Redemption, Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification, is complete, and all that remains is for sinful man to accept God' s Word for it and, By Faith Enter in and Appropriate, By Faith, all the Benefits of Christ's finished Work, that will equip him or her for whatever eventuality might befall them, now or in the future.

The great truth of all the Bible is that God, through His Holy Spirit has been at work in the world for men's good, but there has been an evil spirit, the spirit of man's enemy, the Devil, also at work. But God in Jesus Christ has conquered the greatest power this spirit of evil has over man; through the Resurrection. Which power is sin, death and the grave, plus all the doubts of the natural intellectual mind. And He has been offering the benefits of His Victory, to any and all who will receive them. Salvation is receiving, by faith, this New Person, this Resurrected Person, the First Born from the dead, who through the gift of His Spirit, (the Spirit who gives life,) will share His Life, with all who will believe on Him in this manner.

Thus, the unveiling of the great mystery of God that has been hidden from long ages past, but has been revealed in these last day's. Col. 1:25-2:3, "Of this Gospel I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the Word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints. (True Believers), to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory. And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man, complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a, True knowledge of God's mystery , that is , Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

In closing his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives them a personal evaluation test, 2Cor. 13:4-5, "For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the Power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God toward you. Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test."

God has written the prescription for life and it is up to man to follow the directions, in order to obtain the full benefit of the remedy, for a full and Spiritually Prosperous Life.

The Lord Jesus in one of His confrontations with skeptical man, responded thus. John 5:39-40, "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life/" Can it not be understood that if the Scriptures speak of eternal life, and He is the Life; whom we should then look for and see in the Scriptures, is none other then the Living Word of God, "The Lord Jesus Christ." John 1:1-4, "In the beginning was the Word, (Logos ) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. Ver. 14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." When speaking in this manner, the writings of the First Testament, and the writings of the Apostles, are recording God's declaration, that all are absolutely the Living Word of God, expressed, spoken, lived out , and told out in different way's and varying amounts. At this juncture of enlightenment, we must understand that we, laymen, student or scholar, cannot separate, the written word from the Living Word, nor can we separate the Living Word from the Written Word. Each are an expression of the other.

If God had not taken the initiative, these truths of God and His Way of life, would have remained hidden to the mind and heart of mankind. These writers, of both the Old and New Testaments, all proclaimed the same truths in different ways, but all pointed to the Messiah, as the Sum and Substance of all that man in the depths of his being aspires to know. Ecles. 3:10-11, "I have seen the task which God has given the son's of men with which to occupy themselves. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so-that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end."

The work of God, and the work that God has done, and the work that God is doing, must be revealed to man, for man cannot see, without the illumination of the light of Life, to illuminate his soul. John 6:26-29, "Jesus answered and said, "Truly, Truly, I say to you, you seek Me not because you saw the sign, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled, do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal. They said therefore unto Him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the Work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent." Eph. 2:8-13, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision " by the so called "Circumcision ", which is performed in the flesh by human hands--remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of Promise, having no hope and without God in this world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."

The writers of the Old Testament spoke concerning the Anointed One to be sent out from the Father, God, to fulfill the Image given as the "Great I Am". The Apostles all pro-claimed, "The one, Promised to us by God; has come to us and given us understanding, that the Gift of Life is in His Name." All who truly believe, respond, saying, "Everything, they said we could expect and more, is true." Whom to know is Life Eternal."

There are more than one-hundred and forty-four direct references to the Messiah in the writings of the First Testament.

Only by the correct approach, can we gain an understanding of the mystery unveiled. The Scripture plainly stated as Jesus reminded the listeners of His day. John 6:45b." And they shall all be taught of God." He spoke again as recorded in John 7:17, "If any man is willing to do His Will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I Speak of Myself."

The Apostle Paul writes in Rom. 4:23-25, "Now not for his, (Abrahams) sake only was it written, that, it was reckoned, to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Him who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Rom. 5:1-2, "Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God."
>P?Rom. 15:4-6, "For whatever things were written in earlier times were written for our instruction, that through perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ver. 13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

The union that God had purposed to have with man, had finally come about in the Person of His Son, God's Propitiatory. The perfect place for God to meet man in perfect peace and harmony, and He became the perfect meeting place for all True Believers to find a perfect place of peace and harmony in which to meet God. Up until now man could only have a relationship with God through and earthly priest-hood, through the blood of bulls and goats and calves, which could only provide a covering for man's sin but could do nothing for the cleansing of the Soul of man that was under the guilt and condemnation of being estranged from God because of uncleanness. Again Paul encourages believers in, 1Cor. 10:11-13, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will provide a way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."

Paul in his final instruction to Timothy encourages him, 2Tim. 2: 15. "To be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of Truth. Chap. 3:16-17, "All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Jehovah; God, in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ, hand picked other witnesses who also testified. 2Peter 1:21, "Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." John 1:3, "All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Acts 17:24-31, "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He, Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitations, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring,' "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think of the Deity of God, as like gold of silver or stone, and image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked to times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Psalm,90:1-2 "Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born, or thou didst give birth to the earth and the worlds, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou Art God."
Much more of the evidence can be gathered from the Bible, if man will only approach it in the God prescribed Way.

When you by faith allow yourself to be shown the greatness, righteousness and the glory of this Person Jesus, who wants with everything in Him, to become your very life, you then begin to get a little glimpse of yourself. It causes you to be willing to acknowledge with those who cried before you, "All our righteousness is but filthy rags." It is also expressed, "I abhor myself." Paul the Apostle, expressed it thus, Rom. 7:18, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." Surely this will make the best of us, or even the worst of us, turn from self effort, to Him, who has the authority to forgive and to cleanse from all unrighteousness., and to make that which is dead; alive. Just as Abraham, whose faith was anchored in Him, who gives life to the dead and calls into being, things not being. Rom. 4:14-17, "For if those who are under the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath., but where there is no Law, neither is there violation. For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise might be certain to all descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ("A Father of many nations have I made you,") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist."

Are these not wonderful words of truth placed before us? These are not idle myths. These are substantiated facts. God has a purpose for His creation. The purpose has been revealed for all who will accept it. Rom. 8:28-32, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to, be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren; and whom He predestined these He also called, and whom He called, these He also Justified; and whom He Justified, these He also Glorified. What shall we say to these things? (answer) If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him freely give us all things?"

The first phase of God's redemptive work has been complete for almost two-thousand years, and has been revealed for the entire world to behold. That which is yet to be fulfilled, has also been revealed. The only part of the final phase that has not been revealed,is the precise moment when He is to return and establish His Heavenly Kingdom here on earth. This is in accordance with the covenant promise to King David, as well as the complete purpose, of causing mankind at whatever point in time, to come to the knowledge,that He, Jehovah, is God and there is no other. Read 2Sam. Chap. 7, and 1Chron.Chap. 17.
The third part of God's redemptive work, "Illumination," is when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared and Shined the Light of Life , on the pathway of mankind and they are there-by caused to see Him and His purpose and His work; then their blinded eyes would be opened and they would be made to see Him clearly for who He really was and is. The Apostle Paul expounds it very clearly in his Colosian letter, Col. 2: 4: "When Christ who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in Glory." Also in his first letter to the Corinthian church. 1Cor. 2:7a-and 10-16, "But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery," "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. for who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in the words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are Spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."

Paul was probably one of the most accomplished linguist of his day, yet he seems to say here that God the Holy Spirit, reached down into his vocabulary and selected out of it the words that God wanted to attach spiritual meaning to, that He might use the language of men to convey the meaning and understanding of Himself and His ways. Thus the third of these methods of convey-ance, pertains to we here in this age of Grace. When by faith the living word is received, Spiritual eyesight is illuminated, which enables the true believer to see Jesus in all His resurrected glory, for He really is, who He is. He, Who is the Light of Life. He who enlightens the pathway of life for every true believer.

Of all the Apostles, John is the one, who leaves us the record of the Living Lord, made flesh, He who has Life in Himself, and this Life in essence is the Light that God is. 1John 1:5, "And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all."

When the Mystery of God is no longer a mystery; all the Wisdom and Knowledge of God is at the believers disposal as embodied in Jesus Christ, the First Born from the Dead.

Peter expressed his concern for the believers under his care, and his concern for their well being after his demise. 2Peter,1:2-15, "Therefore I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind."

Take note of the commendation, Peter puts on Paul's writings, 2Pet.3:15-16, "And regard the patience of our Lord to be Salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the Wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking on them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and the unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction."

Hear the Words of Jesus as He prayed for the Apostles and all of we to follow, by believing their word concerning Him. John 17:19-21, "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, art in Me, and I in them, that they also may be in Us,; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me."

All of this should leave no uncertainty in the mind of the interested reader, that God through these men showed His concern for all people, as well as His concern for all people of all times.

Three aspects of the process, of how the Scriptures have come to us from God and made clear to our understanding, are Theologically; Revelation, Inspiration, and Illumination. First God through varying means, revealed His purpose to men, chosen by Him, at intervals through time. Some of what was revealed to them was for their generations, and some of what was revealed was for time in the future, for them as well as for we who live today, some of which is yet to be fulfilled. This is Revelation.

Second; God, through His Spirit moved upon these men and women and caused them to write down the revelation they had received. This is, Inspiration of the Scriptures." Much of it all they did not fully understand at the time, only that which God wanted them to know was for their time. The entirety of it was for the fulfillment of the remainder of the Covenant to Abraham. For it is an everlasting Covenant. Eternal; Forever. The completed phase will include the resurrection of the body, translating it into a New Glorified Body, like unto His Glorified Body. 1Cor. 15:50-53, "Now I say this brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God ; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall all be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality."

The words sneeringly flung at Jesus, "Physician heal Thyself," was meant in a derogatory manner, but not only did He heal Himself, but the fulfillment is for all we who believe in Him. It's surprising how much truth is expressed at times, by people in ignorance. In the retort that was hurled at Him and about Him, "Others He could heal; but Himself, He could not heal. Unknowingly they were saying the same thing Caiaphas, the High Priest, had said John 11:49b-53, "Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish. Now this he did not say on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation; and not for the nation only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad, so from that day on they planned together to kill Him." In ignorance, they were acknowledging that in order for us to be healed, He had to be wounded for our transgressions, or else, all the race of men would need to perish without hope.

Let us compare His complete cure for the sin-sickness of the world to our medical profession as well as the popular profession of psychiatry. A good professional in either field will always delve into the needs of the patient and first find the problem. This is a prerequisite to prescribing a remedy for the cure. But in our age of practicing medicine, and because of the influence of the Pharmaceutical CO's. many practitioners, rely wholly on drugs to treat the symptoms, and never deal with the real problem. This amounts to a counterfeit practice of their profession, and a real cure is never found. And so the patient is never relieved of the real illness, but just goes on taking medication, and often times the side effects of the drug is just as bad, if not worse than the sickness. The same is true in psychiatry, unless the doctor is a true believer, and gets to the real cause, which is a sin sick soul, they just keep the patient coming back for one session after another, and no sooner do they seemingly alleviate one problem, but another one takes it's place. The same is true in the field of religion, much of what is being perpetrated on the public, and is taught today, only has to do with the natural man and his social, physical, demands, which is the popular trend of our times. All of which is based on the false concept, that it is our rights to have everything we want, regardless of the hurt it may cause some one else. None of which solves the problems that man has created in the society of our day, which are all a result of mankind not receiving the Word of God as He has caused it to come to the world. For as the writer of the book of Hebrews states, "The New Covenant in Jesus Blood, bequeaths to all who will receive it, "A, New, and a Better, and a Living Way."

Embodied in this Covenant is, complete pardon for sin, complete deliverance from bondage to the servile life mankind yields himself to and has been living in subjection to throughout all of his history. The Gospel is the only cure for the malady that has plagued mankind from the beginning. The depths of the reality of it hasn't been really entered into, or understood by very many at any given point in time, and today is no exception.

All the writers of the New Testament, but particularly the writer of the book of Hebrews, go to great length, explaining how this is so. He explains that all that had been shown of Him, before His coming into the world, were but pictures, types, and shadows. A shadow does not have, substance. A shadow needs a body with a light in it or upon it to cause a shadow. He explains this by showing that God, Who cannot lie, even so, took and oath upon His Word, and He who is light, shined the Light of Life, through the Living Word made flesh, painting word pictures in everything He did or said and taught.

All of which was the manifestation of the fullness of who He really was. All the shadows that had been cast up until His coming, had now become, substance. The illumination of His Person covers every phase and fulfills every prophetic word ever spoken about Him. The illumination of His Person, reveals Him to be, greater than Angels, (they are servants sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation). Greater than the Prophets, (they only foretold of His coming to provide salvation,) Greater than the Priests, (they only foreshadowed His High priestly work as the one mediator between God and man,) Greater than Noah, Abraham, Moses, and of Aaron, (they were all but servants in God's house, for -shadowing the true dwelling of God, ) which is none other than the church, the body, the true Temple, in which all of His fullness dwells. And He is greater than man in his original state, (Adam was but a type of Him who was to come,) He bore the name Son, based on the Fathers Oath. His Priesthood was greater than any other, because it too was awarded on the basis of an Oath taken by the Father. (Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee,) and,(Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.) Therefore, the New Covenant, He instituted is superior to the first, because, His is founded on better promises. The reason His Covenant is Superior to the first is because He is a Superior Being, with a Superior Offering, which is a Superior Life. (Blood), better than that of Bulls, goats, and Sheep. Here is the Man God meant man to be. Adam was but a shadow,(type) Jesus is the real Man. And He is what God wants every believer to be.

His is a Perfect Salvation, because He has the Creative Power of God the Creator embodied in Himself. Therefore He can save to the, "Uttermost." Before His leaving this earth on His Heavenly ascent, He spoke these Words, Matt. 28:18b, "All authority has been given to Me, in heaven and on earth, go therefore!"

All of this becomes known under the full spectrum of the illumination of the Word of God, because it is a living Word. Because it is living, it provides the, (dynamic) by which the Work of God is accomplished. Heb. 4:12-13, "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both the joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."

A cleavage must take place, between the natural, fleshly man and the spiritual man. This cleavage was brought about when the fleshly man died on the cross in our behalf, and the New Man, the Spiritual Man came forth from the grave. Study Paul's teaching in his letter to the Romans, particularly chapters, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight. Do this to allow yourself to be brought into the freedom of the New Life in Christ. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and then, Reckon it so.

He that has died to sin in the death that Jesus died, is now freed from it's reign of terror and power, and has been made alive in the New Man, the Resurrected Lord of Life. You are now free from the disease of sin and death, and are free to live the New Life, His Life, to the Glory of God, His original purpose for mankind. And all True Believers say, Amen--It's all True in Him.

Talk To Me At This Address;doug.dchacht@cox.net

Jehovah-God's Eternal Covenant:

Torch Ginger