An Abridgment Of A Life Or Death Proposition

In mans earliest recorded accounts, he reveals himself to be on a quest for life. He has been endeavoring to gain greater under-standing and meaning to life. The record reveals that He has expended all of his effort toward one goal, the purpose being, to improve his standard of living. His planning and building in every area of spent energy, is to enhance his, "Lifestyle," to improve its quality. He wants to lengthen it by adding years, all of which only sets death and despair back to a later period, but does nothing to bring peace to the troubled heart of man. Man's pursuit of his quest in this manner, never brings an assurance of hope in the life after death.

Does it not seem more sensible, or a more logical approach, if man had been shown a better way he would have readily taken it? However the record shows he has done just the opposite.

God's revealed involvement in the affairs of men, shows that he has done just that. Man thoughtlessly chose wrong in the beginning and has been making wrong choices ever since. Periodically, God has broken in upon the consciousness of mankind, endeavoring to lead him back to the, right way. The sad truth is, that, there has always been but a small remnant out of the whole that have chosen to follow.

History, as well as the recorded account of God's revelation to man, documents this fact. All the writers of the New Testament verify this to be their understanding as well.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews opens his treatise thus, Heb. 1:1-2, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the Prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom, also He made the world's." (Or through Whom He created all the ages, (eons, that have come and gone).

It is the revelation of the gift of life in this New Person, the resurrected Son of God, that the great majority of mankind have turned away from. Failing to recognize the Word of God, when it comes to him as life giving, man chooses to go his own way according to his own acquired wisdom and knowledge. The apostle Paul writes, that man following this course of action, has exalted himself to the degree of, Professor-ship of Wisdom, while revealing himself in the eyes of God, to be a fool. Rom. 1:21-23, "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves 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."

Mankind has become so captivated by his own accomplishments in the realm of the social, political and economic arena, that it seems almost impossible to direct his attention another way. He is convinced, each time he is faced with his own failure, or his culture crumbles around him, that all he has to do is try a little harder. By increasing his production, collecting more revenue or giving a little more to one cause or another, he will ultimately be able to solve life's problems. During the time and effort he puts forth doing this, he fails to contemplate the one pertinent question asked so many years ago. "What will it profit a person if you gain the whole world and lose your Soul ?"

Even in the face of all his failure, man is convinced by his own reasoning, that surely a God, Who is Love, will look on his efforts favorably and reward him for his efforts. Can't God see that they are well intentioned? Man fails to see that after all the centuries of effort he is still faced with his greatest enemy, "Death". Until he has solved this dilemma, he is a failure in life, as well as death.

The libraries in all ages have been filled with Philosophies of men. Each philosopher has used his or her own wisdom, putting forth the effort to reason or rationalize, what he/she is sure to be the secret, as well as the answer to life's dilemmas.

We are told in God's Library, "The reasoning of men are vain".

I am a believer in the infallibility of the recorded Word, known as the Bible, and have been an observer as well as a participant among believers. However, I am finding more confusion and misunderstanding abounding, than at any time in history. I am prayer-fully contributing what I consider to be some considerable insight into the truth of what God has been endeavoring to reveal to mankind's darkened hearts. These truths are normally only being accepted in the abstract, primarily just intellectually. They are not being assimilated into the very innermost being, so that they might result in professing believers being brought into the, "Newness of the Power of the Resurrected Life of the Lord Jesus Christ", the gift of God to the world.

It is very obvious, even to the casual observer, the emphasis has changed from the Christ-Like, Spirit induced life, to the fleshly exuberance, based on good works, law keeping, social programs and the building of great lavish monuments to man. Where is the evidence of the power of the resurrected Christ, like the lives of the True Believers, of the early church? The body of the church has so merged into the society, that it is looked upon no differently than any of the other cults, sects, and organized groups that make up society today. We are seeing the warning of Paul to Timothy, as he cautioned, come true in the church of our day. 2 Tim. 3:1-5, "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self. lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such as these."

Professing believers, without any more understanding of the meaning of Salvation than an outright avowed unbeliever, fill the pulpits, and pews, and offices, of the churches today.

The simple message of the Gospel, from Genesis to Revelation , is that Salvation, (complete deliverance from all bondage, or to a system-religious or political), is by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone; the Living Word of God. He is the Logos, The Word, the express image of God, and in Him all the fullness of the Godhead, dwelt in bodily form. Col. 1:13-22, and 2:6-14; "For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together, ( or cohere). He is also head of the body, the church and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if you continue in the faith."-----( all of this is God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ).

Col. 2:2c-3, As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude. 'See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete and in Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all transgression, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

The apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul both expressed it emphatically like this, Acts 4:12, "And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which you must be saved." Acts 13:38-39, "Therefore let it be known to you brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him every-one who believes is freed from all things, from which he could not be freed through the Law of Moses."

Either you are identified with the fallen race of men descended from Adam, and there-by under the judgment of eternal death, or by faith you are identified with God, in Jesus Christ. Through taking upon yourself the name of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, you have received the, Gift of New Life in Him. If this is the case, you have been set free from all bondage, judgment and condemnation; here in this life and in eternity. This is called justification to life and righteousness. Both are reckoned to your account, for you to draw upon, making you acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. Rom. 5:12-14, "Therefore just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--(in Adam) for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not put to account,(or imputed,charged against you) when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam's offense, who is a type of Him who was to come. ver.16b-For on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression,(Adam's), resulting in condemnation , but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions, resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more, those who receive the abundance of Grace, the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men; even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men, for as through the one mans disobedience, the many were, constituted sinners, even so through the obedience of the One,(Jesus Christ), the many will be constituted, (declared), righteous."

Heb. 9:27-28, "And as much as it is appointed for all men to die once, and after this comes judgment; so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, not to bear sin, to those who eagerly await Him, for Salvation."

Either we accept God's gift of Salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ, or reject it and rely upon self-effort. It is simply this: Jesus substituted for and represented each person in His substitutionary death, and by faith, we accept Him and His work vicariously as our own. Rom. 8:1-4,"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the Law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin, and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Ver. 9-11, "However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God, dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through His Spirit who indwells you." ver. 13,-14,"for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but, if by the Spirit, you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God".

The whole, of the Word of God is predicated on this precept, "The justified one shall live by faith in the revealed word of God." The Lord Jesus Christ.
When this GOSPEL TRUTH, is TRULY, received by faith, what the Theologians term, "efficacious", or the potential benefit 0f the work of His Cross, becomes, "Effectual", to all believers, through the Resurrected Power and the authority of the Holy spirit, who is given to all who truly believe. John 7:37-39, "Now on that last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out saying, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water," "But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

It is through the gift of His Spirit that, the "real things of Jesus and the work of His cross," become real to the true believer." Either accept the Good News of God and pass out of death into life, here and now; or reject Him and take your chances with the consequence of your action and God's Wrath for your refusal. God has gone to great length to bring redemption and reconciliation into being and to leave a record of His offer of the gift of eternal life. The choice is for mankind to make now, as it has always been.

God has placed in mankind's hand the mechanism by which all God's purpose and plans can be realized, Faith is the little intangible. It is a gift from God by which mankind can perform the one act they can perform, without putting forth any effort of their own. Consequently the statement of Paul to Titus. Titus 2:11-15, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all man, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deed's. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you."

Pure and simple faith in God's Word, that all, that He has accomplished, is for you and for me. We all have the invitation to believe and to enter into the fullness of, "HIS LIFE', AND TO APPROPRIATE FROM HIM EVERYTHING WE HAVE NEED OF FOR DAILY LIVING, AND FOR A HOPE IN ETERNITY. It is ,"Efficacious, (effective) Rom. 1:16-17, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the Power of God for Salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,(Gentile). For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous Man shall Live By Faith."

Simple faith in Him, provides us with this, "So Great Salvation". Faith is the one thing anyone can do without doing anything out of self effort. Salvation or,"Newness of Life", is all of Him and nothing of mankind. If this is not so then salvation is by works and not by faith, Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by Grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer Grace."

The Gospel substantiates all the intentions of God and all of His purpose from before the foundation of the world. It validates the fact that God's intentions have always been to have a harmonious, living relationship with His creation. Man was the highest of the creation, and was given dominion over the work of God's hands. However, he abdicated his position by an act of, Self Will (disobedience) to the will of God, the One who had given him Life. The validity of God's purpose to restore man to his pre-assigned position was reconfirmed in the person of Jesus Christ. He became heir to all God's creation, and with Him, all believers are established as joint-heirs with him. There is an old saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the tasting."

Abraham is the prime example of an ordinary man, out of the race of men as God's choice, to be-come the Father of all who walk by faith in the revealed Word of God. In the exercise of his faith, new life was given to his and Sarah's mortal bodies, and a new life resulted, according to God's promise. A new race of people was brought into being, through whose lineage, God brought forth His first begotten Son into the world, to be the Savior of the world. The New Covenant in His Blood, under which the former life is done away with and New Life is bequeathed to mankind, was instituted by Him and has been in force ever since. All anyone has to do; is by faith show up before the Lord and receive his/her inheritance, "The Gift of Eternal Life".

Embodied in the recorded account of God's dealing with mankind, is a distinguishing fact. Since, the disobedience of Adam to the direct Word of God, the ones born of the natural lineage from him; who continue to be led according to the dictates of their own self will, motivated by their own selfish desires, have no acceptance with God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." Only those born of His choice, according to His Promise, born of faith, and born of His Spirit, have any acceptance with God, "John, 3:3-"Jesus answered and said to him. 'Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, (Born from above), (Born of His Spirit), he cannot see the kingdom of God." Rom. 9: 8, "That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants."

In the confrontation with the people of His day, people, were laying claim to their relationship and privileged position as children of Abraham,to justify how they based their relationship with God. Jesus responded, John 8:39, "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father,' Jesus said to them, 'If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham," Here-in lies the embodiment of the Truth that is the, message, of the whole recorded word of God. This is the Truth that sparked the Reformation, and is the foundation truth of the book of Habakkuk, Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. "The Justified One Shall Live By faith."

The real fulfillment in life was finally revealed, when Jesus came and declared, "I came to do Thy will Oh God," showing that only this way, could the real yearning and hunger in mankind, and the loving heart of God, be satisfied.

The first and only person in all of history to live in complete harmony and obedience to the way in which God, intended mankind to live, was, and still is Jesus Christ. It was obedience to the faith, that Paul said his purpose, in his stewardship of preaching the Gospel, was meant to bring mankind to. Rom. 1:4b-6, "Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship,to bring about the obedience of faith, among all the Gentiles, for His names sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ," Rom. 16:25-27, "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now has been made known to all nations, leading to obedience of faith,' to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen."

In the corporate oneness of faith, His obedience becomes our obedience, when we are one with Him in death, burial, and resurrection to Newness of life. Being made joint-heirs with Him, He shares everything of Himself with the believer. 1John 4:17b, "As He is , so are we in this world." The believer is sanctified, (set apart from the world), counted righteous in Him. Heb. 10:9-10, "Then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Thy will ." He takes away the first, (Covenant of Law) in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (For all sin, for all time, for all believers.)

Man in his philosophical approach to learning and advancement in the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge, has expressed many profound truths unwittingly. However unwittingly, they may have been, they remain true never the less.

Aristotle, a world-renown Philosopher once wrote: Quote,

"The study or the search for truth, is in one sense difficult, and in another sense easy. This is shown in the fact that no one person can gain an adequate grasp of it. We cannot all fail in the attempt; each thinker makes some statement about the natural world, and as an individual contributes little or nothing to the inquiry: but a consideration of all conjectures results in something considerable, (i.e. to add to the whole). This so far as the truth is like the proverbial door which no one can miss, in this sense the study or search will be easy; but the fact that we cannot, although having some grasp of the whole, grasp a particular, shows it's difficulty. However since difficulty can be accounted for in two way's, its cause may exist not in the object of our study but in ourselves: just as with Bat's eyes in respect to daylight, so without mental intelligence in respect of those which are by nature most obvious. "

Philosophy is rightly called knowledge of truth. The object of theoretic knowledge is Truth, while that of practical knowledge is action: for even while they are investigating how a thing is so, practical men study not the eternal principle but the relative and immediate application. However we cannot know the truth apart from the cause. How everything through which a common quality is communicated to other things is itself of all those things in the highest degree possessed of that quality (fire is hottest because it is the cause of the heat in everything else). Therefore in every case the first principle of things must necessarily be true above everything else--and so as each thing is in respect of existence, so it is in respect to Truth."

Nothing truer has ever been said. Jesus is in essence truth personified. He relates to everything and everything relates to Him. As we know, behind everything there is a cause and Jesus being the creative Word of God is the un-caused, cause, back of it all. God has left us sixty-six books and untold numbers of voices to enlighten mankind to the truth of His Person and purpose. The Truth of all the hidden wisdom and knowledge of God has been revealed through Jesus Christ.

Col. 1:25b--2:3, "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 the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, 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. 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. I want you to know how a great a struggle I have on your behalf, for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally 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."

After manifesting the wisdom and the knowledge of the invisible God, He was received back into Glory, exalted at the right hand of God, The Father, made head over all rule and authority, and has received a name which is above every name.

In the words of the writer of the book of Hebrews, 1:1-3, "God after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the Prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His Glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the Word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on High."

Rom. 4:25-5:2,"Him who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification . Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also, we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God."

One can know many things about a person without really knowing the person. Let us endeavor to get to know Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul encourages the true believers in the Church at Ephesus, in the distinction between the way in which they had learned Christ, and therefore knew Him, compared to the way in which the unbelieving Gentile world around them knew Him. Eph. 4:20-21, "But you have not learned Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and been taught in Him, just as the Truth is in Jesus."

With real conviction of the New Life in Christ, no longer need there be a struggle, to live according to a regimented standard. The New Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had set him and us free, from the Law of sin and death. He could now walk according to the new, Dynamic , the power of the resurrected life of Christ, and he no longer was compelled to feed the drives of the flesh. He was now free to express the clearest, plainest, treatise of the spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, that has ever come to man.

A new hope for mankind had been born, and the writer of the book of Hebrews states, Heb. 6:19-20. "This Hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us", For it is in Christ Jesus as He ministers to the believer, from His position as Great High Priest, who is at the right hand of God the Father, and yet He is here, abiding in the believer. To those who truly believe from the heart, in His priestly capacity, He is constantly ministering grace and more grace to the believer for daily living. His ministry is what brings stability to the believers.

The conduct of the True Believer, is always predicated on, "His Greatness to us, and not on our greatness toward Him. 1 Tim. 6:15b-16, "He who is the blessed and only sovereign, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see, To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."

Abiding in Him, eliminates all the confusion, uncertainty, frustration, and constraint, that otherwise constricts and ties one up in knots and brings stress unbearable. This is the plain simple contrast between living in the flesh and living in the strength of His Spirit. Again hear Paul, Gal. 5:16-18, "But I say walk in the Spirit, and you will not ,(imperative--absolutely,) carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets it's desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under Law."

When God called Abraham, He treated him as a mature adult. He treated Sarah his wife as a free woman, to live in relationship to Abraham and to God according to God's promise of a family, with none of the entanglements of their former life or the world around them. These two represent the Covenant of promise. Hagar is a servant, a slave, even though she might have been of Royal Egyptian blood, she is still a slave, and subject to Abraham, Sarah, and to God. She and her son represent the covenant of Law. Gal. 4:21-29, "Tell me you who want to be under the Law, do you not listen to the Law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son of the free-woman through the Promise. This contains an allegory, for these women are two covenants; one proceeding from Mount Sinai, bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. However, the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written, "rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; for more are the children of the desolate than the one who has a husband. And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise. But as at the time, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also."

Since the Covenant of Promise was in force for four-hundred and thirty years, from Abraham to Moses, why then the need for the Law? The illustration is very plain. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit. The Law revealed the weakness of the flesh. The flesh is under judgment of sin an death, and must be delivered from its bondage, if it is to be received by God.

Since the Sum and Substance of the Gospel is a Person, the intention of the person placing his or her faith in Him for Salvation, must be this; "He in the completeness of His being is who we receive". Col. 2:16-17, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food and drink or in respect to a festival or new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of things to come; but the substance(Body) belongs to Christ." He then becomes the believers Life. Does it not behoove us to then learn Christ? Eph. 4:20-24."

Since all of this was contained in the Promise, and all that remained was for the, "Fullness of time", to fulfill it, what was the need of the Law? It was necessary because of transgressions. It was needful to bring the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20b-21a,"by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." The Law became a pedagogue, (a dogmatic teacher), to lead the Jew, the children of Israel to Christ, and so that the Gentile would be shown the way. Gal. 3:22-4:7, "But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we (Jews), were kept in custody under the Law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor,(pedagogue),to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all son's of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized,(placed) into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything; but he is under guardians and manager until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

Under the Law they were treated like children; God's children. Although minors and immature, God as their Heavenly Father, was caring for them, by giving them their freedom, providing land, homes and provisions for living as He would teach them to live. When they misbehaved, they would be corrected. When they were obedient, He would bless them, (rewarding them, thus expressing His Love for them ).

The Law was weak, (insufficient,), because the flesh was weak. There is no capability in the flesh to live up to the requirements of the Law, Rom. 8:3-4, "For' what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, (the Law was weak because the flesh is weak ), God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Only the Power of the resurrected Life in Christ Jesus, can set the sinner free from the bondage of the corruption of the sinful flesh. Only death to the old man in Adam, and resurrection to the Newness of Life in corporate union with the Resurrected Lord of Life, can set men free to live to the glory of God.

The New Life motivated by a new dynamic, provided by the Spirit of the Living God, is the way. For the Holy Spirit gives Life, the flesh profits nothing. The Law only pronounces death to it.

The New Light of Life reveals at this juncture,that the true believer no longer needs to live under the dictates , demands and desires of the natural, physical man. Now we are under the control of the righteousness of a Holy God, who when deferred to by faith, will reproduce His Life in the believer. This Life, which is the Life of His Son; He, has already put His approval upon. It is the one life He will approve in the believer. This is a life that can and will be lived to the glory of God. In the light of this we are made aware of God's purpose for all who He calls and justifies.

The sad state of the professing church since the dark Ages is that it has never really come out into the clear light of the Gospel, as it is revealed in Jesus Christ and expounded to us by the Apostles. Most everywhere you hear people saying, " Oh I live according to the teaching of my church," or "I live by the Golden Rule," or "I endeavor to live my life for God the best way I can, and if that isn't good enough I'll just have to take my chances."

Where is the clear, true confession of faith as we hear the Apostles Proclaim? "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who lives, but it is Christ who is living in me, and the life that I now live in this fleshly body of mine, it is not my life but His, which I now live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me, that I might live a life as a gift from God my Heavenly Father.

All of this is the expression of a person sharing a life as a gift, a life that has been bequeathed to him as joint heir, with the First Begotten from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ. And out of His great heart of Love, He freely shares His Life as an inheritance with any and all who will receive Him for it. For He is the Life, and therefore He is the source of the believers life.

My intention in this writing is to show that in the entirety of the Word, and particularly in the New Testament, the, Faith way is the Grace Way of God. It is not possible to be saved under any legal system. The people were provided a covering under the system of law, for their sin from year to year, but not the removal of the dominion, sin had over them. We have Jesus and the Apostles, and the Holy Spirit, endeavoring to show us the New and the Better and the Living Way under the New Covenant. Under it the Apostles and all the rest of the believers receive the gift of New Life, through the Gift of the Holy Spirit, through Grace by Faith.

All believers share this legacy as well!




AN ABBREVIATED SYNOPSIS

Genesis to Malachi: A history of mankind, from God's stand-point. Presenting, Himself, His purpose, His manner of relating to His creation, singling out, individuals, and families, and through the Word expressed to them, reveals to the rest of us, who it was, and how it was, that some gained approval, and some Incurred disapproval. In the events recorded, we are led down the pathway He endeavored to lead; and the pathway that rebellious mankind took, following the leading of the spirit of evil, that had entered the heart of mankind through Adam. The predominate thought through it all is; God is promising and revealing , to the race of mankind , that He is sending "One", who would come through the Lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and David, A Redeemer, who would usher in a New Way of Life, and Light and Love.

Matthew, Mark, Luke: The introduction, and Birth of the Promised One. They give an account of all, that Jesus began to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up , back up into the presence of God. Luke 1:1-4. Acts 1:1-2. Gal. 4:4-5, "But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoptions as son's."

Acts: The account of the Believers, in carrying out the Great Commission in the world, after His ascension. And, An account of the reaction of unbelieving man as it continues, from the day's of Jesus life here on earth, until today, in opposition to the preaching of the Gospel. Just as it was in reaction to Him, in opposition to the message of hope, so it remains till now. Also an account of the remnant God calls to Himself, under the motivation of the Holy Spirit, and the Apostles ministry.

Romans: Paul's account of the Righteousness of God displayed before the then present world, in the offering up of the Son as Substitute, and representative of each individual of the race of Adam, who were under the indictment of sin and death. It contains the most in-depth analysis of the gift of God's Grace, through which righteousness might be put to sinners account, (reckoned to them), that has ever been compiled. All of which is embodied in the Person of God's Son, the long promised, and the long awaited Messiah.

Letters to the Corinthian Church: An encouraging Expose' for orderliness in the Spirit of Christ, in the assembly and in their daily lives. 1Cor. 10:31, and Chap. 14:26b. ver, 32-33. ver. 40,"But Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner." God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.

Galatians: Law versus Grace. Chap. 2:16, "Since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." ver. 19, "For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to God."

Ephesians: The message of the Heavenly realm having been brought here to earth for all believers to exult, and glory in. All the Spiritual blessings of the Heavenly Realm, are now your's and mine, in Christ Jesus

Colossians: The message of the Spiritual Wisdom and Spiritual Knowledge of the True God. The Superior Knowledge that comes from knowing Jesus Christ, in living reality, in contrast to the lesser knowledge,(knosis), derived from the wisdom of this world, in the Intellectual Realm, (All the many and varied Philosophy's of men), Col. 2: 1-4, but the gist of it briefly, ver. 2c-3, "God's Mystery, that is, Jesus Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Read and study the book of Hebrews, of The New, and The Better, and The Living Way.

From Cover to Cover, the Bible tells the Same Good News, of God's so great Salvation.

The Epistles of Peter and John as Commissioned Apostles remain true to their calling and both simply and concisely proclaim the truth as John so capably expresses it in, 1John 5:11-13, "And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life."

Revelation: is the culmination of all of God's purpose and plan, for both heaven and the earth. The fulfilled promised blessing Physically, Materially, And Spiritually, are all unveiled in the revelation, that God gave to John, to show unto His bond-servants.. The First and the Last, The One, of which there is no other, the beginning of all things and the end of all things, Until the all things are once again Literally under the Sovereign, Righteous Rule of the Creator.

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Where It All Began

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