Abraham's Promised Possession Could Only Come Through the Resurrection Part 3

By John Foll, written between 8/11/2017 and 8/13/2017, 9/14/2018 - 9/25/2018.
© Copyright 2018 John Foll

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If you have not read all of this article so far, we recommend that you read all of the parts that came before this one. For Part 1, click here: Abraham's Promised Possession Could Only Come Through the Resurrection Part 1

God’s Mercy and Plan to Save the offspring of Abraham

Thus we see that the ability of Abraham and his offspring to have or to hang on to their ‘everlasting possession,’ must mean something more than just God’s people having a temporal possession, and losing it at death or because of infidelity to God. Because God’s best continued blessings are given to the faithful - to those who are obedient to His word. Abraham and some of his offspring were obedient to God, but not all of them were, and they were prone to wander from God.

Is there no hope for the children of Israel’s wandering from God? Is there to be no hope for ‘the lost tribes of Israel,’ like the tribe of Ephraim? Was there no plan to rescue the ‘lost tribes of Israel’ and give them their inheritance that God had promised Abraham? God always keeps His promises, and will yet save as many as possible from these ‘lost tribes of Israel,’ who defected from God as a tribe and were exiled by the Assyrians, where they were transported lock-stock-and-barrel to other countries far from their home, never to return again to their inheritance that God gave to their forefathers, that He had promised Abraham. See 2 Kings 17:21-28 for the story how the Assyrians moved the lost tribes of Israel away from their inheritance in Israel, to far away countries, and why God let it happen. Does God have a plan to save the Jews of the other tribes of Israel too? Many of them are in need of spiritual reviving as well. Yes! God has a plan to save as many as possible of Israel, from all twelve of the tribes, to fulfill His promise to Abraham: to give to as many of them as possible their land for an eternal possession! God always keeps His promises!

The wonder of God and His love is that He deals as gently as possible with His people; He gives them space and time to repent; He gives them time to seek after Him. Oh how He loves everyone so much! How can He give up His people whom He loves? Note what Hosea prophesied concerning Ephriam, which most likely includes the other 8 of the lost tribes as well: “So My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, None at all exalts Him. How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled. I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar, and His sons will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria; and I will settle them in their houses, declares the LORD.” Hosea 11:7-11 NASB. So God has indeed promised that some of them will return to Him ‘trembling from the west’, ‘trembling like birds from Egypt’, and ‘like doves from the land of Assyria,’ and will come again to their everlasting possession that God had given them, because of His promise to Abraham. So God has a plan to recover the lost tribes of Israel, including the tribe of Ephraim! And God also has a plan to revive as many as possible of all of the 12 tribes of Israel.

When God says something, you can believe it will happen, because God always keeps His promises! God declared through the prophet Isaiah: “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. When God says something, His word will be accomplished, no if, and’s or buts! His word is power, and will cause what He has declared to happen, to happen. There can be no doubt that since God declared that the tribe of Ephraim would return to their ‘everlasting possession,’ that when He ‘roars,’ like it says in our passage from Hosea, that it will happen! It cannot fail! But it will be a remnant, all those who would return to God. There will be a remnant who will return to Him, ‘trembling’ as it says in our Hosea passage above. And God has a plan for all of the other tribes of Israel as well, for those who return fully to Him, so that they can receive their everlasting possession that God had promised Abraham. God always keeps His promises! “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” Isaiah 51:11 KJV. Amen!

To Be Continued…

The song for the day:
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pdVtpYTKXI

Therefore the Redeemed (Isaiah 51:11):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVcwk0o45g0

Click here for a Free PDF of this article!

Blog Edited by John Foll.

List of Articles

---

From the Editor: “The Everlasting Covenant” has had a very great impact on my life! These articles, with its stories from the Bible, led me to fall in love with God, there is no other way of putting it. The thing I was needing the most in my life was given to me after I learned how much He loved me in “The Everlasting Covenant” by E. J. Waggoner.

It is my prayer, dear reader, that God will richly bless you, as you learn more and more about His great love for you as presented by E. J. Waggoner in “The Everlasting Covenant”, as we continue to present more articles from it.

May the grace of God, and the priceless, precious fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, as you go down this journey of falling totally in love with God! Riches beyond measure await you, if you will just get to know Him and His great love for you!



Listen to these articles at:  http://www.whiteraimentevangelism.com/recommended.

Watchword:

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.'” John 14:23 NASB.

White Raiment Evangelism Revelation 3:18:

In Revelation 3:18 Jesus said, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, and white raiment, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and that thou mayest see." (Paraphrase of the KJV.)




#Faith #God #Lord #Love #Mercy #Promise #Plan #Salvation #Abraham #Seed #Offspring #Ephraim #Israel #Lost #Tribes #Redemption #Power #Word #Everlasting #Possession 

04 Building an Altar (The Everlasting Covenant)

Everywhere Abraham went, he built an altar to the Lord. As you read this, remember that the promise that all nations should be blessed in Abraham, specified even families. The religion of Abraham was a family religion. The family altar was never neglected in his household. This is not an empty figure of speech, but comes from the practice of the fathers to whom the promise was made, and of which we are partakers if we are of their faith and practice.

An Example for Parents

God said of Abraham, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Gen. 18:19).

Note the words, “He will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.” He would not simply command them to do it, and there let the matter rest; but He would command them, and the result would be that they would keep the way of the Lord. His teaching would be effective.

We may be sure that the commands of Abraham to his children and his household were not harsh and arbitrary. We shall understand them better if we consider the nature of the commandments of God. They “are not grievous.” “His commandment is life everlasting.” He who thinks to follow the example of Abraham in commanding his family, by harsh, arbitrary rules, and by acting the part of a stern judge, or a tyrant, making threats of what he will do if his commands are not obeyed, and executing his commands, not in the spirit of love, because they are right, but because he is stronger than his children, and has them in his power, has much need to learn of the God of Abraham. “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Eph. 6:4.

At the same time we may be sure that his commands were not like Eli’s, weak and querulous reproofs to his wicked and worthless sons: “Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear.” 1 Sam. 2:23, 24. Judgment came upon him and his house, “because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” 1 Sam. 3:13. On the other hand, Abraham transmitted a blessing to all eternity, because the commands which he gave his children had restraining power.

Abraham was to be a blessing to all people. Wherever he went he was a blessing. But this blessing began in his family. This was the center. From the family circle the heavenly influence went out to the neighbors. And now we may well notice more closely the statement that when Abraham built an altar, he “called upon the name of the Lord.” Gen. 12:8; 13:4. In Dr. Young’s translation this is rendered, “He preached in the name of Jehovah.” Without calling attention to the various places where the same expression is found, it is worth while to note that the Hebrew words are identical with those used in Exodus 34:5, where we read that the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood by Moses, “and proclaimed the name of the Lord.” We may therefore understand that when Abraham erected the family altar, he not only taught his immediate family but he “proclaimed the name of the Lord” to all around him. Like Noah, Abraham was a preacher of righteousness. As God preached the Gospel to Abraham, so Abraham preached the Gospel to others.

Abraham and Lot

“And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” “And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents, and the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle; and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Gen. 13:2, 5-8.

When we understand the nature of the promise of God to Abraham, we can understand the secret of his generosity. Suppose Lot should choose the best part of the country; that could make no difference with Abraham’s inheritance. Having Christ, he had all things. He did not look for his possessions in this present life, but in the life to come. He would accept with thankfulness whatever prosperity the Lord might send him; but if his riches in this life should be small, that would not diminish the inheritance that was promised him.

There is nothing like the presence and blessing of Christ to settle all disputes, or to prevent them. In the action of Abraham, we have a true Christian example. As the eldest he might have stood upon his dignity, and have claimed his “rights.” But he could not have done so as a Christian. Love “seeketh not her own.” Abraham manifested the true Spirit of Christ. When professed Christians are eager to grasp the things of this world, and are fearful lest they shall be deprived of some of their rights, they show that they are unmindful of the enduring inheritance which Christ offers.

The Promise Repeated

Abraham’s Christian courtesy, which was the result of his faith in the promise through Christ, was not unrecognized by the Lord. We read: —

“And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” Gen. 13:14-17.

We will not forget that “to Abraham and his seed were the promises made; He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ.” There is no other seed of Abraham except Christ and those who are His. Therefore this innumerable prosperity which was promised to Abraham, is identical with that spoken of in the following scripture: —

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:9, 10, 13, 14.

We have already learned that the blessing of Abraham comes on all nations through the cross of Christ, so that in the statement that this innumerable company have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, we see the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, of an innumerable seed. “If ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3:29.

The reader must not fail to notice in the repetition of the promise, in the thirteenth of Genesis, that the land figures very prominently. We found it in the preceding study, and shall find it as the central feature of the promise wherever it occurs.

Abraham and Melchizedek

The brief story of Melchizedek forms a link which unites us and our times most closely with Abraham and his times, and shows that the “Christian dispensation” so called, existed in the days of Abraham as well as now.

The fourteenth chapter of Genesis tells us all that we know of Melchizedek. The seventh chapter of Hebrews repeats the story, and makes some comments upon it. Besides this, we have references to Melchizedek in the sixth chapter, and in Psalms 110:4.

The story is this: Abraham was returning from an expedition against the enemies that had carried away Lot, when Melchizedek met him, bringing bread and wine. Melchizedek was king of Salem, and priest of the Most High God. In this capacity he blessed Abraham, and to him Abraham gave a tenth part of the spoil which he had recovered. That is the story, but from it there are some very important lessons drawn.

In the first place we learn that Melchizedek was a greater man than Abraham, because “without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better,” (Heb. 7:7), and because Abraham gave him the tenth part of all.

He was a type of Christ, and was like Him: “Made like unto the Son of God.” He was a type of Christ, in that he was both king and priest. His name signifies, “king of righteousness,” and Salem, of which he was king, means “peace;” so that he was not only priest, but king of righteousness and king of peace. So of Christ it is said: “The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.” “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Ps. 110:1, 4. And the name whereby He shall be called is “The Lord our Righteousness.” Jer. 23:6.

Christ’s kingly priesthood is thus set forth in the Scriptures: “Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord; even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” Zech. 6:12, 13. The power by which Christ as priest makes reconciliation for the sins of the people, is the power of the throne of God, upon which He sits.

But the main point with reference to Melchizedek, is that Abraham lived under the same “dispensation” that we do. The priesthood was the same then as now. Not only are we the children of Abraham, if we are of faith, but our great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, is by the oath of God made an High Priest for ever, “after the order of Melchizedek.” Thus in a double sense it is shown that “if ye are Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad.” John 10:56.

Abraham therefore was a Christian as much as any one who has ever lived since the crucifixion of Christ. “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts. 11:26. But the disciples were no different after they were called Christians from what they were before. When they were known only as Jews, they were Christians just as much as they were after they were called such. The name is of but little account. The name “Christians” was given them because they were followers of Christ; but they were followers of Christ before they were called Christians, just as much as they were afterwards. Abraham, hundreds of years before the days of Jesus of Nazareth, was just what the disciples were who in Antioch were called Christians; he was a follower of Christ. Therefore he was in the fullest sense of the word a Christian. All Christians, and none others, are children of Abraham.

The reader will notice that in the seventh of Hebrews we are referred to the case of Abraham and Melchizedek for proof that the paying of tithes is not a Levitical ordinance. Long before Levi was born, Abraham paid tithes. And he paid them, too, to Melchizedek, whose priesthood is the Christian priesthood. Therefore those who are Christ’s, and thus children of Abraham, will also give tithes of all.

It will be noticed that the tithe was a well-known thing in the days of Abraham. He gave tithes to God’s priest as a matter of course. He recognized the fact that the tithe is the Lord’s. That record in Leviticus is not the origin of the tithing system, but is simply a statement of a fact. Even the Levitical order “payed tithes in Abraham.” We are not told when it was first made known to men, but we see that it was well known in the days of Abraham. * In the book of Malachi which is specially addressed to those living just before “the great and terrible day of the Lord,” we are told that those who withhold the tithe are robbing God.

* It should be understood that no man, nor any human power, neither the church nor the State, has anything to do with requiring people to pay tithe. “The tithe is the Lord’s,” and with Him alone people have to do in the matter of tithes. Tithes do not belong to the State, nor is the State empowered to collect them for the Lord. Whether or not a person will pay the Lord’s tithe to the Lord, is a matter for himself alone to decide, just the same as whether or not he will worship God at all, whether he will keep the Sabbath or not, etc.

The argument is very simple: Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek; the Melchizedek priesthood is a priesthood by which righteousness and peace come; it is the priesthood by which we are saved. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, because Melchizedek was the representative of the Most High God, and the tithe is the Lord’s. If we are Christ’s then we are children of Abraham; and therefore if we are not children of Abraham, then we are not Christ’s. But if we are Abraham’s children, we shall do the works of Abraham. Whose are we?

One other point should not be overlooked in passing. The thoughtful reader will scarcely fail to be struck with the fact that Melchizedek, who was king of righteousness and peace, and priest of the Most High God, brought out to Abraham bread and wine, the emblems of the body and blood of our Lord. It may be said that the bread and wine were for the refreshment of Abraham and his followers. But that does not in the least detract from the significance of the fact. Melchizedek came out in his capacity of king and priest, and Abraham recognized him as such. Note the connection in Gen. 14:18, 19: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram, of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth.” It is quite evident that the bread and wine which Melchizedek brought forth acquired special significance from the fact that he was the priest of the Most High God. The Jews in the days of Christ scoffed at the statement that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. They could see no evidence of the fact. May we not see in this transaction one evidence that Abraham saw Christ’s day, which is the day of salvation?

By E.  J. Waggoner —The Present Truth, May 28, 1896


Blog Edited by John Foll.

Click here for a Free PDF of this article!

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If you were blessed by this article, why not read all of it starting from the beginning of it?
Click here to read Part 1 of the Everlasting Covenant.

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From the Editor: “The Everlasting Covenant” has had a very great impact on my life! These articles, with its stories from the Bible, led me to fall in love with God, there is no other way of putting it. The thing I was needing the most in my life was given to me after I learned how much He loved me in “The Everlasting Covenant” by E. J. Waggoner.

It is my prayer, dear reader, that God will richly bless you, as you learn more and more about His great love for you as presented by E. J. Waggoner in “The Everlasting Covenant”, as we continue to present more articles from it.

May the grace of God, and the priceless, precious fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, as you go down this journey of falling totally in love with God! Riches beyond measure await you, if you will just get to know Him and His great love for you!

Listen to these articles at:  http://www.whiteraimentevangelism.com/recommended.



#Faith #Abraham #Seed #Family #Altar #Command #Children #Righteousness #Justice #Christian #Courtesy #Generosity #Promise #Lord #Possession #Christ #Blessing #Melchizedek #Tithe #Salvation

God Will Never Allow the Righteous To Be Shaken! (Cast your burden upon the Lord)

By John Foll, Written between 04/30/2017 and 05/02/2017.
© Copyright 2017 John Foll

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“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 NASB.

Who are the righteous? Those that cast there burdens upon the LORD. What burdens? All of their burdens, all their sins, worries and guilt. Anyone who does not cast all of their burdens upon the Lord hopes in vain for peace, hope, faith, joy, love and salvation, for they trust not completely in God. Those that continue on like this, casting not all of their burdens on Him will eventually get weighed down with guilt and worry and not be able to rise above it, or become too hardened to move. Think that we are reasoning in circles here? It may appear thus to those who are not schooled in the science of faith, but such is not the case. Our theme text from Psalms tells the whole story! It gives a simple formula for how you can be righteous and never be shaken; it contains the promise that if you cast your burden upon the Lord that He will sustain you.

The Bible declares cursed be the man or woman that trusts in their own strength. “Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5 NASB. From this it is implied that those who trust in themselves or to mankind are really turning from God. Those whose heart turns away from the Lord, those who trust in their own strength, are turning away from God and will be cursed by Him unless they turn back to Him.

When Jesus was in the wilderness and had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, the tempter tempted Him to turn the stones into bread: Then Jesus ‘answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”’ Matthew 4:4 NASB. Thus Jesus showed His true followers until the end of time that they were not to trust in the works of their hands or to their skill or ability to reason, to feed themselves and save themselves, but to wholly trust in God and obey all of His commands in the Bible. (The hands of those who trust in themselves fashion idols that they bow down to – Exodus 20:4-6; Isaiah 44:13-20). To trust in yourself is folly. It’s an illusion that you are able to get up in the morning, go to work, earn your living and pay for your own bread, clothing, lodging, and take care of yourself, family and loved ones by yourself apart from God. You could do none of these things without God. So why not remember your creator and redeemer, and praise Him for His marvelous works, as well as His mercy and blessings for you? You could not even have life and breath without Him. Ecclesiastes 12:1; Genesis 2:7. Doesn’t He deserve your praise, honor, and devotion? How can you not love Him? He has provided for all of your needs, salvation and happiness!

Say not that you are able to earn your own bread and your own salvation, for without God you can do nothing. While it is true that if you are a diligent worker you can earn your bread, you can not do it apart from God. Jesus said, ‘apart from Me you can do nothing.’ John 15:5 NASB. Do not fashion an idol out of your hands from your work or ability and bow down to them, saying that this is what you did and what you earned. Apart from God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit you can literally do nothing. You owe everything to God. So why not give Him your heart, confess your sins, give Him your guilt, burdens, and worries, casting them all on Him. And He will never allow you to be shaken! Cast on Jesus all of your cares and worries. Let Him free you! “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 KJV.

Jesus died on the cross that He might bear your burdens. Why not take Him up on His offer? Of Jesus the Bible declares: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:4 NASB. And of Jesus, Peter declares: “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;  and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25 NASB. Yes, we were continually straying like sheep until He brought us back to the fold of the house of God again. If you would desire to stop straying from Him, then you must cast all of your burdens upon Him, and allow Him to carry all of your griefs, sorrow, worry, doubts, despair, shame, guilt, anger, unhappiness, and unfulfilled duties. The load is too heavy for you to bear and will destroy you if you do not cast them, all of them, on Jesus. So cast all of your burdens, cares and worries upon Him, and let Him free you! He will be happy to help you and bear your burdens for you! He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 KJV. Yes, Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NASB. Just accept the yoke of His love, and let Him take the weight of all of your sins and burdens! For His yoke is easy and His burden is light! No need to carry the weight of any of your sins or worries anymore; worries that you are not good enough to be saved and that you are a failure. Cast on Him all of your burdens of whether your children and loved ones will be saved: He greatly loves them too and is doing His best to help them, without violating their power of choice. Casting your burdens upon the Lord is the secret of how to be righteous. This is the secret of how not to be shaken. There is no reason for you to stagger under the weight of your burdens anymore when He will gladly bear them for you! He loves you!

Jesus said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27 KJV. Those who continue to build their house upon the sand of their own devising, merit, and works, and trust to their own ability to earn their bread, when the rains come and the wind blows, they will be washed away, and great will be their fall. But those who heed Jesus invitation to cast their burdens upon Him, are building their house upon the rock, and when the floods come and the winds blow, their house will stand, as long as they keep casting their burdens upon Him and depending on Him alone for their salvation! Those that cast their burdens upon the Lord do not trust in vain; they never will be shaken, as long as they continue to trust in Him: For they have built on the rock, upon the word of God, Jesus. He is our pledge or surety that His Father will save us and supply all of our needs. Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 7:22. And it is impossible for God to lie. Hebrews 6:18. So you can be sure that He will keep all of His promises to you, if you keep casting your burdens upon Him.

Those who continue to cast their burdens upon Jesus will be given His righteousness, and at the end of time, when He comes back in the clouds with great power and great glory (Matthew 24:30) they will say, ‘This is our God who we have waited for, He has come back to save us just like He promised!’ as it tells us in Isaiah 25:9 KJV paraphrase. He has preserved us through “the shaking”, for He cannot lose His hold on His own!

Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." John 10:27-29 NASB.

So cast all of your burdens upon the Lord! Amen! 

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Lessons on Faith: Part 8 of 14: We have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ

By A. T. Jones

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"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1. 

Since faith is the depending upon the word of God only, for what that word says, being justified by faith is simply being accounted righteous by depending upon the word only. 

And since the word is the word of God, dependence upon the word only is dependence upon God only, in the word. Justification by faith, then, is justification -- being accounted righteous by dependence upon God only, and upon him only because he has promised. 

We are all altogether sinners -- sinful and ungodly. We are, therefore, all subject to the judgment of God. Rom.  3:9-19. Yet for all of us there is escape from the judgment of God. But the only way of escape from the judgment of God is to trust in God. 

When David had sinned in numbering the people and so had incurred the exemplary judgement of God, the Lord gave him his choice as to whether there should be seven years' famine or he should flee three months before his enemies or there should be three days' pestilence. But David would not choose at all. He deferred it all to the Lord, for Him to choose, saying, "Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great." 2 Sam.  24:11-14. 

When depending upon God alone, in His word, for righteousness, we have peace with God, because thus we really obtain righteousness and "the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever." Isa. 32:17. 

When depending upon God alone in His word, for righteousness we have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ, because "He is our peace, who hath made both" God and man "one," "having abolished in his flesh the enmity" "for to make in himself of twain -- of God and man -- "one new man, so making peace." Eph. 2:14,15. 

Further: when depending upon God alone, in His word, for righteousness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, because God has "made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself . . . whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproachable in his sight: IF ye continue in the faith" -- if you continue to depend only upon God alone is His word. Col. 1:20-23. 

When He has made the way so plain, the justification so complete, and the peace so sure to all, and asks all people only to receive it all by simply accepting it from him and depending upon him for it, why should not every soul on earth be thus justified and have the peace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ? 

This is "what the Scripture means when urging upon us the necessity of exercising faith." Are you exercising faith? Are you justified by faith? Have you righteousness by faith? Have you peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ? "Have faith in God." Mark 11:22. 

RH Feb 14, 1899    

By A. T. Jones in the Review and Herald periodical in 1899.

Blog Edited by John Foll. 

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