01 The Gospel Message - The Everlasting Gospel (The Everlasting Covenant)

When the humble shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem were astonished by the shining of the glory of the Lord round about them, as they watched their flocks by night, their fears were quieted by the voice of the angel of the Lord, who said, “Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2.10,11

The words, “good tidings,” are from the one Greek word which elsewhere is rendered “Gospel;” so that we might properly read the message of the angel thus: “Behold, I bring you the Gospel of great joy, which shall be to all people.” In that announcement to the shepherds we learn several important things.

1. That the Gospel is a message that brings joy. “The kingdom of God is . . . righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Christ is anointed “with the oil of gladness,” and He gives “the oil of joy for mourning.”

2. It is a message of salvation from sin. For before this time the same angels had foretold to Joseph the birth of this infant, and had said, “Thou shall call his name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1.21

3. It is something which concerns everybody, —“which shall be to all people.” “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3.16

This is assurance enough for everybody; but as if to emphasize the fact that the poor have equal rights in the Gospel with the rich, the first announcement of the birth of Christ was to men in the humblest walks of life. It was not to the chief priests and scribes, nor to the nobles, but to shepherds, that the joyful news was first told. So the Gospel is not beyond the understanding of the uneducated. Christ Himself was born and brought up in deep poverty; He preached the Gospel to the poor, and “the common people heard Him gladly.” Mark 12.37. Since it is thus presented to the common people, who form the bulk of the whole world, there is no doubt about it’s being a world message.

The Desire of all Nations

But although the Gospel is first of all to the poor, it is not something mean and ignoble. Christ became poor that we might become rich. The great apostle who was chosen to give the message to kings, and to the great men of the earth, said in view of His hoped - for visit to the capital of the world, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Romans 1.16. The one thing that the entire world is seeking after is power. Some seek it by means of wealth, others through politics, others through learning, and still others in various other ways; but in whatever enterprise men engage, the object is the same, — power of some kind. There is unrest in the heart of every man, an unsatisfied longing, placed there by God Himself. The mad ambition that drives some to trample on scores of their fellow-creatures, the unceasing struggle for wealth, and the reckless round of pleasures into which many plunge, are all vain endeavors to satisfy this longing.

God has not placed in the human heart a longing for any of these things; but the quest for them is a perversion of that desire which He has implanted in the human breast. He desires that man should have His power; but none of the things, which men ordinarily seek, give the power of God. Consequently none of these things satisfy. Men set a limit to the amount of wealth which they will amass, because they think that when that limit is reached they will be satisfied; but when the fixed amount has been gained, they are as unsatisfied as ever; and so they go on seeking for satisfaction by piling up wealth, not realizing that the desire of the heart cannot be met in that manner. He who implanted that desire is the only one who can satisfy it. God is manifested in Christ, and Christ is indeed “the desire of all nations” (Haggai 2.7), although there are so few who will believe that in Him alone is their perfect rest and satisfaction. To every unsatisfied mortal the invitation is given, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. O fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him.” Psalm 34.8,9. “How precious is Thy loving-kindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.” Psalm 36.7,8, R.V.

Power is what men desire in this world, and power is what the Lord wants them to have. But the power, which they are seeking, would ruin them, and the power, which He desires them to have, is power that will save them. The Gospel brings to all men this power, and it is nothing less than the power of God. It is for everybody, if they will accept it. Let us study the nature of this power, for when we have discovered it; we shall have before us the whole Gospel.

The Power of the Gospel

In the vision which the beloved disciple had of the time just preceding the coming of the Lord, the Gospel message which prepares men for that event is thus described: —

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14.6,7

Here we have plainly set before us the fact that the preaching of the Gospel consists in preaching God as the Creator of all things, and calling on men to worship Him as such. This corresponds to what we have read in the Epistle to the Romans, that the Gospel “is the power of God unto salvation.” What the power of God is we learn a little farther on, where the apostle, speaking of the heathen, says: —

“That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” Romans 1.19, 20. That is to say, ever since the creation of the world, men have been able to see the power of God, if they would use their senses, for it is clearly to be discerned in the things, which He has made. Creation shows the power of God. So the power of God is creative power. And since the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, it follows that the Gospel is the manifestation of creative power to save men from sin.

But we have learned that the Gospel is the good news of salvation through Christ. The Gospel consists in the preaching of Christ and Him crucified. The apostle says: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the preaching of the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1.17,18

And still further: “We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1.23,24. And this is why the apostle said, “And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto

you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2.1,2

The preaching of Christ and Him crucified is the preaching of the power of God, and therefore it is the preaching of the Gospel, for the Gospel is the power of God. And this is exactly in harmony with the thought that the preaching of the Gospel is the setting forth of God as the Creator; for the power of God is creative power, and Christ is the one by whom all things were created. No one can preach Christ without preaching Him as the Creator. All are to honor the Son even as they honor the Father. Whatever preaching fails to make prominent the fact that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, is not the preaching of the Gospel.

Creation and Redemption

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . .. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made . . .. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us full of grace and truth.” John 1.1-14. “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” Colossians 1.16,17

Let us give more careful attention to the last text, and see how creation and redemption meet in Christ. In verses 13 and 14 we read that God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” And then, after a parenthetical remark as to who Christ is, the apostle tells us how it is that we have redemption through His blood. This is the reason: “For by Him were all things created,” etc. The Revised Version gives the more literal rendering, “For in Him were all things created, . . . and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

So the preaching of the everlasting Gospel is the preaching of Christ the creative power of God, through whom alone salvation can come. And the power by which Christ saves men from sin is the power by which He created the worlds. We have redemption through His blood; the preaching of the cross is the preaching of the power of God; and the power of God is the power that creates; therefore the cross of Christ has in it creative power. Surely that is power enough for anybody. No wonder that the apostle exclaimed, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6.14

The Mystery of God

To some it may be a new thought that creation and redemption are the same power; to all it is and must ever be a mystery. The Gospel itself is a mystery. The Apostle Paul desired the prayers of the brethren, that utterance might be given him, “to make known the mystery of the Gospel.” Ephesians 6.19. Elsewhere he says that he was made a minister of the Gospel, according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto him by the effectual working of His power, that he “should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world have been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3.8,9. Here again we see the mystery of the Gospel to be the mystery of creation.

This mystery was made known to the apostle by revelation. How the revelation was made known to him we learn in his Epistle to the Galatians, where he says, “But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” And then he makes the matter still more definite, by saying, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” Galatians 1.11, 12,15,16


Let us sum up the last few points.

1. The Gospel is a mystery. 
 
2. It is a mystery that is made known by revelation of Jesus Christ. 
 
3. It was not merely that Jesus Christ revealed it to him, but that he was made to know the mystery by the revelation of Jesus Christ in him. Paul had to know the Gospel first, before he could preach it to others; and the only way in which he could be made to know it was to have Christ revealed in him. The conclusion therefore is that the Gospel is the revelation of Jesus Christ in men.
 
This conclusion is plainly stated by the apostle in another place, where he says that he was made a minister “according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.” Colossians 1.25-27. So we are fully assured that the Gospel is the making known of Christ in men. Or rather, the Gospel is Christ in men, and the preaching of it is the making known to men of the possibility of Christ dwelling in them. And this agrees with the statement of the angel, that they should call the name of Jesus Emmanuel, “which, being interpreted, is God with us” (Matthew 1.23); and also with the statement by the apostle that the mystery of God is God manifest in the flesh. When the angels made known to the shepherds the birth of Jesus, it was the announcement that God had come to men in the flesh; and when it was said that this good news should be to all people, it was revealed that the mystery of God dwelling in human flesh was to be declared to all men, and repeated in all who should believe Him.


And now let us briefly sum up all that we have thus far learned.

1. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Salvation is only by the power of God, and wherever the power of God is, there is salvation.

2. Christ is the power of God.

3. But Christ’s salvation comes through the cross; therefore the cross of Christ is the power of God.

4. So the preaching of Christ and Him crucified is the preaching of the Gospel.

5. The power of God is the power that creates all things. Therefore the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, as the power of God, is the preaching of the creative power of God put forth for the salvation of men.

6. This is so, because Christ is the Creator of all things.

7. Not only so, but also in Him all things were created. He is the first-born of all creation; when He was begotten, “in the days of eternity,” all things were virtually created, because all creation is in Him. The substance of all creation, and the power by which all things should be made to appear, were in Christ. This is simply a statement of the mystery that only the mind of God can comprehend.

8. The mystery of the Gospel is God manifest in human flesh. Christ on earth is “God with us.” So Christ dwelling in the hearts of men by faith is all the fullness of God in them.

9. And this means nothing less than the creative energy in God working in men through Jesus Christ, for their salvation. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthians 5.17. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2.10

The apostle indicates all this when he says that to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ is to make all see “what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world have been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”


A Summary
In the following portion of Scripture we have the details of this mystery well summarized: —
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him; in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will; that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I . . . cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1.3-20


Now we will note the different points of this statement:

1. All blessings are given to us in Christ. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.” Romans 8.32

2. This gift of all things in Christ is in accordance with the fact that He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that in Him we might obtain holiness. “For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5.9

3. In that choice the destiny determined for us is that we should be sons.

4. Accordingly He accepts us in the Beloved.

5. In the Beloved we have redemption through His blood.

6. All this is the making known to us of the mystery, namely, that in the fullness of times He will gather together in one household all things in Jesus Christ, both things in the heaven and things on the earth.

7. This being the fixed purpose of God, it follows that in Christ we have already obtained an inheritance; for God makes all things work out the purpose of His own will.

8. All who believe in Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is called the Holy Spirit of promise, because it is the surety of the promised inheritance.

9. This seal of the Holy Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4.30

10. Those who have the Spirit as the seal, know what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance; that is, the glory of the future inheritance becomes theirs now, through the Spirit.

In this we see that the Gospel involves an inheritance; in fact, the mystery of the Gospel is really the possession of the inheritance, because in Him we have obtained an inheritance. Now let us see how the matter is stated in the eighth of Romans. We shall not quote the Scripture entire, but simply summarize it.

Those who have the Holy Spirit of promise are the sons of God; “for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” If we are children we are necessarily heirs, heirs of God because sons of God. And if heirs of God, we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. The one thing above all others that Christ is desirous that we should know is that the Father has loved us even as He loved Him.

But of what are we heirs together with Christ? —Why, of all creation, because the Father has constituted Him “heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2), and has said, “He that overcomes shall inherit all things.” Revelation 21.7. And this is shown by what follows in Romans 8. We are now sons of God, but the glory of the sons of God doth not yet appear. Christ was the Son of God, yet He was not recognized as such by the world; “therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” 1 John 3.1. In possessing the Spirit we are in possession of “the riches of the glory of the inheritance;” and that glory will in due time be revealed in us, in a measure far exceeding all present sufferings.

“For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8.19-23 Man by creation was a son of God; but through sin he became a child of wrath, even a child of Satan, to whom he rendered obedience, instead of to God. But through the grace of God in Christ those who believe are made sons of God, and receive the Holy Spirit. Thus they are sealed as heirs until the redemption of the purchased possession, that is, of the whole creation, which is waiting for its redemption when the glory shall be revealed in the sons of God.

By E. J. Wagoner, The Present Truth: May 7, 1896

From a book called “The Everlasting Covenant” containing the original articles from: “The Present Truth” periodical, May 7, 1896 to May 27, 1897

Song of Love and Devotion to God for today:

Robe of Calvary:               Sung By George Beverly Shae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBN4Fld-lTw

Lyrics for Robe of Calvary


Blog Edited by John Foll.

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From the Editor, my personal testimony: Regarding this collection of articles from the audio form of this book: “The Everlasting Covenant”, where this article was taken from: It has had a very great impact on my life! This book and its stories from the Bible, led me to fall in love with God, there is no other way of putting it. I believe God had been working in my life prior to this to get me to this point, with all the other things that He was teaching me – to obey Him, and helping me to learn to give up the things He didn’t want me to do. But until I fell in love with Him, I didn’t have the power from Him and the joy that I now have. But if I had not been willing to do what He was asking me to do, and had not submitted to Him, I would have never gotten to this point. The thing I was lacking in my whole life, or at least in the strength that God wanted to give me, was given to me after I learned how much He loved me in “The Everlasting Covenant” by E. J. Waggoner.

I had given my heart to God as a boy when I was baptized, and there is no doubt that God was working in my life then, and throughout my life, but I had not totally surrendered to Him before this great change. (I wanted to be closer to Him, but I was having difficulty yielding to Him all the way every day. And sometimes my stubborn pride would get in the way or I fell into sin.) Before this great change that happened to me, I could have never imagined the peace, love and joy and pure unadulterated happiness that I could have. I never knew such joy even existed! (I could never have had this change in my own strength or will in any way.) If you would have told me about any of this before this great change happened to me, I wouldn’t have believed you! It seemed to me that no one has a right to feel such joy! – That it is too much for anyone to expect. I told myself and several others, ‘I need to pinch myself to see if I am awake!’ Before when I had walked with God, even after my baptism, something would always come along and spoil my joy and happiness. And at some points I would go back and forth between wanting to be good and doing my own thing, sometimes backsliding. After this great change I asked someone, ‘When does this joy end?” And the answer to me from my heart, and from the one I was telling it to was: “never!” I prayed to God for help to keep me from going back to my old ways. I certainly do not deserve what happened to me, I can only thank God for showing me His love and changing my heart! I have not then, nor now, nor will I ever be better than anyone else on this earth, but what happened to me was due solely to God, not based on anything that I have done or deserve or for any of my abilities. I would rather die than go back to the way I used to live! It would break my heart forever if I lost this. I could never be happy again if I lost the joy of knowing and loving my God!

I hope that my testimony is not too much for you dear reader. I am just speaking what’s on my mind about the wonderful riches of God. He wants to give these riches to you too, if you would have them.

It is my prayer, dear reader, that God will richly bless you too, as you learn more and more about His great love for you, especially 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!

P. S. If you would like to listen to the audio of this book you can listen to it on our web site: http://www.whiteraimentevangelism.com/recommended. But it will be the whole book, not just this article in this blog you are now reading.

Click here for a Free PDF of this article!

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How Do You Get Faith?

By John Foll, Finished 01/21/2018.
© Copyright 2018 John Foll

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Faith is produced by God's love for you.

When you learn how much He loves you and believe it, this changes you! Therefore your faith in God or not, shows how much you love Him. Like any child who learns to love their earthly loving parents, their faith in their parents grow as they learn that their parents love them, if their parents take good care of them. The child’s faith in their parents is a product of their parents love for them, as their love for them grows. This is how it is with every soul, if they learn more and more of His love, their faith and trust in Him grows! Are you ready dear reader for your love and faith in God to grow? Then read on!

Abraham was called the friend of God:

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” James 2:23 KJV. Genesis 15:6.  If you read the story about Abraham from Genesis 12 to 24, you will see that he was on a journey with God from where he grew up and lived, to where his wanderings would later take him to that would later be called the Promised Land! God was teaching Abraham to trust Him through the time Abraham spent with God, and through the trials and circumstances God tested him with.

Abraham was not chosen to be a friend of God or promised God’s blessings because he deserved it, but because of God’s great love for him and the world. It was God’s desire to save the world and use Abraham and his descendants to do it. “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13 NASB. See also Romans 4:9. “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS RECKONED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’  How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them, *** but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.” Romans 4:9-12 NASB. Yes, how blessed is he or she whose sin the Lord does not take into account! God made this promise to Abraham before their covenant of circumcision. The point Paul is making here is that the promises that God was making to Abraham were not just for Abraham and his descendants, but were for the whole world to be saved as well! God took pity on everybody in the world, including the gentiles and provided for their salvation through Abraham too, because of His great love. As gentiles we also do not deserve to be chosen by God either, but through the promises made to Abraham we can also be partakers of the Heavenly promises and Heavenly gifts!

Why was Abraham called the friend of God? What does it mean to be called a friend of God?

Think about what you would want in a friend: Love, respect, caring, helpfulness, self-sacrifice, and unselfishness. So if you want to be a friend of God you will do these things for Him too. But that is not all – God is your Heavenly Father too. How should you treat your human Father? Love, respect, and obey him. Then you should also love, respect and obey God too, since He is your Creator, Provider, Heavenly Father and God! Why are we bringing all this up about Abraham and what we should do? So that you can be a friend of God too. Why not? God will be your friend if you will let Him. Don’t you want Him as your friend?

Jesus declared what it means to be a friend of God:

“You are My friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:14 NASB. Let us contemplate again what it takes to be someone’s friend: you must love them. Therefore Abraham loved God, because He was his friend. From this one statement by Jesus in John 15:14 you can be sure that Abraham obeyed God, because James 2:23 says that Abraham was called the friend of God. The Bible in Genesis also records Abraham’s life story, and while it wasn’t perfect, it showed someone who was learning to love and obey God and eventually to have great faith in Him too! (As when he was asked to sacrifice his only son. Genesis 22:12 – read the whole chapter.)

Jesus also said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;” John 14:15-16 KJV. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:10-11 NASB. And: “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. Meditate on Jesus’ words here. You could write many sermons, and yes a whole book on any one of these statements by Jesus, they are quite powerful! What Jesus said here is not for the timid, the doubtful, the fearful or those who don’t want to love Jesus and His Father all the way.

All this was implied when Abraham was called the friend of God: it was because he loved God! Where there is little love for God, there is also little faith and little obedience to Him. This is why so many are ready to excuse themselves from obeying God, because they love Him only but little. Are not all who are Christians forgiven by Him and helped by Him? Why then are there not more who love Him all the way? Aren’t they grateful for what He’s done for them? Haven’t they been helped tremendously by Him? Or do they take His love, help and mercy for granted? Why is it then that there are so few who have much love for God and faith in Him? Jesus declared: ‘But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.’ Luke 7:47 KJV. This may be the problem or part of it! There are many teachers ready and willing to teach people that obedience is not required by God, because they are saved by grace (which is true by itself, except that it is leaving out other essential truths), and little or nothing is mentioned about the need to obey God, or it is stated that this is works if you try to obey Him. And some even say or imply that it is wrong to obey God. Where have we heard this before? Listen carefully to what Isaiah the prophet says here: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 KJV. This is a deadly deception! It can NEVER be wrong to want to obey God, even if someone is not born again! Only those who have power from God will be able to obey Him. Yes it is works to try to obey God in your own strength! But we believe that God takes into consideration the desire of every honest soul who wants to obey Him. But He is not pleased with those who do not want to obey Him, or say that they can’t obey Him, or say that they do not need to obey Him, etc. (because they are saved by grace and teach that it is works to obey Him). But God is also not completely pleased with those who are not born again either, because He longs to help everyone have the wonderful peace, love, joy and contentment that all will have who yield to Him all the way. Those who are not born again cannot please God all the way because they do not have the power to obey Him, which only comes to those who yield to Him all the way, love and trust Him. “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7-8 NASB.

And God will try to work in their heart before it’s too late, if only they would yield to Him. But He will always hear the prayer of those who confess their sins to Him, even if they have not yielded completely to Him yet. Those who think that they are saved because they are trying to obey Him are gravely mistaken. But if they had it in their heart to obey Him, and failed, then confessed these sins to Him, He will forgive them of this, since *He is always ready and willing to forgive.

* From the Song HE.

In contrast to the above spiritual “non-sense,” stated and believed by many, the soul who is the friend of God and “knows” Him, will have a deep love for Him and would never want to hurt or disappoint Him, and would always want to obey Him! And if they sin or fail Him, they would confess these sins to Him, and get a clean slate with Him again. Amen! Those that love Him will not indulge themselves in sinful doubting that He can do what He clearly declares that He can do in the Holy Bible; they will understand the many precious promises in the Bible for them, and His power and desire to save to the uttermost all who turn to Him from their sins.

So true faith is produced in the hearts of those who have learned to love God as their Heavenly Father, believing in His mighty power to save, as they have followed His guiding voice step-by-step through the Holy Spirit. This is wholly the work of God that He wants to do for every soul who would want it and believe it, but they must choose to humble their heart to Him, confess, and yield to Him all the way, and obey Him in everything He wants them to do.

It is not those who are mighty in will power, mental decision and skill and will, or human belief that will have this true faith in God, but just those who have learned to love Him. This is the work of the Holy Spirit on all who truly co-operate with God; which is those who want to co-operate with Him, and pray for the help and strength to please Him.

If you are having difficulty believing in Him or His desire to save you and do good things for you, then you have not fully learned to love Him yet, because faith in God is the natural result of learning to love Him. Faith is the natural outcome of God’s love, if you receive it into your heart. God’s love provides all that you need to be His child if you will receive it. When your heart fully decides that it loves Him, then you will be born again, born of Heaven! When this happens you will have great faith in Him, like Abraham did, and you would do anything for Him, whom your soul loves. And then you will be flooded with peace, love, and joy, and your life will take on a whole new meaning! This is what it means to be a new creature and to walk in the Spirit.

Only those who have learned to love God (allowed Him to save them) have this saving faith. This is how you can get the faith to please God!

May the grace of God be with you! May you learn to love Him more and more, as you spend much time with Him. As your love for Him grows, so will your faith and your obedience to Him grow too! Amen.

Concluding Statement:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 KJV.

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Lessons on Faith: Part 14 of 14: Walk in the Spirit

By A. T. Jones

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"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Gal. 5:16.

What a blessed promise! And as sure as it is blessed, to everyone who believes.

Think of the lust of the flesh. How all-pervading it is! How stern are its dictates! How oppressive its rule! How dismal is the slavery that it lays upon man!

Everybody has experienced it -- longing to do the good that he would, yet doing only the evil that he hated; having ever a will to do better, but how to perform it, finding not; delighting in the law of God after the inward man, yet finding in his members another law, warring against the law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his members; and at last, crying out, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom. 7:14-24.

Thank the Lord, there is deliverance. It is found in Christ Jesus and in the Spirit of our God. Rom. 7:25; 8:1,2. And the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus having made you free from the law of sin and death, then "walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." There is not only deliverance from the bondage of corruption; there is also the glorious liberty of the children of God for every soul who receives the Spirit and walks in the Spirit.

"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

See the list of the workings of the lust of the flesh: "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like." None of these shall you fulfill, over all these things you have the victory, when you walk in the Spirit. It is the faithful word of God.

Is not that a most desirable prospect? Is not such a thing as that worth having? And when it is had for the asking and the taking, then is it not worth asking for and taking?

Accept the deliverance that Christ has wrought out for you. Stand, and stand fast, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

"Ask, and it shall be given you." "For everyone that asketh receiveth." "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." "Be filled with the Spirit," yea, "Walk in the" "Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

RH Mar. 14, 1899 

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


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Lessons on Faith: Part 13 of 14: Faith That Works By Love

By A. T. Jones

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"In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love."  Gal. 5:6.

With those who were in mind when this scripture was originally written, circumcision was everything, and it was everything simply because of what it represented.

And what circumcision represented to those people was works and works only. It was the greatest of all works -- greater than creation itself -- because, as the rabbis put it, "So great is circumcision, that but for it the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have created the world." "It is as great as all the other commandments," "equivalent to all the commandments of the law." -- Farrar's "Life of Paul," chapter 22, para. 5, note; chapter 35, para 4, note.

Yet this which to them was so great, the Lord sweeps away, as with a blast, in the words, "Circumcision is nothing," and in Christ Jesus, circumcision avails nothing. And, in view of what circumcision meant to them, this was simply to say that works are nothing and in Christ Jesus works avail nothing.

Then to all the others who, in view of this, might be inclined to boast in their lack of works and thus excuse sin, the word is given with equal force: "And uncircumcision is nothing." "In Jesus Christ neither . . . uncircumcision availeth anything," which, in its connection, was simply to say that the absence of works is nothing and in Christ Jesus the absence of works avails nothing.

So then works are nothing and the absence of works is nothing. In Christ Jesus neither works nor the lack of works avails anything.

This word of the Lord, therefore, utterly and forever excludes both classes from all merit and from all ground of merit in themselves or in anything they ever did or did not do. 

And this is all as true today as ever. Today, whether persons are out of Christ or in Christ, neither works nor no works avail anything. For it is written: "Are you in Christ? Not if you do not acknowledge yourselves erring, helpless, condemned sinners. . . . Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy, or anything else in you or connected with you, will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ."  -- Testimony for the Church, No. 31, pages 44, 45.

What then? Is everybody left in utter emptiness? No, no! Thank the Lord there is something which avails for all and avails forever. Though it be the everlasting truth that "in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, neither works nor no works avail anything; yet it is also the eternal truth that "in Jesus Christ . . . FAITH WHICH WORKETH" does avail.

Notice that it is not faith and works that avail; it is "faith WHICH worketh." It is faith which itself is able to work and does work -- it is this and this alone that avails for anybody anywhere at any time.

Faith is only of God and working; it works only the works of God. Thus he who, in Christ Jesus, has the "faith which worketh," has that which avails to show God manifest in the flesh, working the works of God. And thus "this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

And so, while you are in Christ, "if there is any good in you, it is wholly attributable to the mercy of the compassionate Saviour. . . . Your connection with the church, the manner in which your brethren regard you, will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him; you must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace."  -- Id., pages 44, 45.

"Hast thou faith?" Have the faith of God. "Here are they that keep . . . the faith of Jesus."

RH Mar. 28, 1899 

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


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He is Faithful!

By John Foll
© Copyright 2017 John Foll

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"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 KJV.

The key here is that ‘He is faithful’. Who is faithful? God is faithful. Our salvation and all the good things now and forever depend on the love and faithfulness of God to keep His promises to us, to forgive us and to help cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to provide all the other gifts that He wants to give us. Yes, God is faithful and can be trusted to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, if we confess our sins! It does not depend on us, because we are not faithful by ourselves. Only God can help us to be faithful. But if we will just confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and will save us, as long as we continue to allow Him to work in our life! Yes, He is faithful! God alone is faithful and righteous. And you can have all the blessings of love and eternal life, if you will just choose to confess your sins, because He will take care of you, if you will do this and continue with Him. God always keeps His promises!

This is taken from my book: Love of God, God’s Plan To Save You – How to Have Righteousness By Faith, in the Chapter: Become White as Snow: Confession and Forgiveness. In this book we show how to get closer to God, how to get the Holy Spirit, and the fruits of the Spirit. We will show you in this book how to have righteousness by faith. We think that you would be blessed if you would read this book. http://www.whiteraimentevangelism.com/love-of-god-part-1

May the grace of God be with you.

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Many will not be able to enter the Heavenly Canaan because of unbelief

By John Foll, finished writing 9/30/2017.
© Copyright 2017 John Foll

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“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:12-19 KJV.

So what is the cure for unbelief? Faith. Faith is the opposite of doubt or unbelief. Unbelief in what? Unbelief in the promises of God. The children of Israel had been given a promise by God that He would give them the land of Canaan and help them to possess it, if they would follow His lead. Caleb and Joshua told the children of Israel that they were well able to enter the Promised Land, that God would open the way for them and give it to them. But the 10 other unfaithful spies lied to the children of Israel about this, saying many discouraging things to them, so that they did not believe the promise of the Lord.

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.’ But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us." So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13:30-33 NASB. “Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.’ Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us — a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.’ But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.” Numbers 14:1-10 NASB. Read the rest of this passage and beyond for this sad account; for their punishment for unbelief and rebellion against God. Unbelief and rebellion are close cousins.

Who did the children of Israel believe? Caleb and Joshua or the 10 unfaithful spies? There were two reports, a good report and a bad report. Which report do you want to hear? The good report or the bad report? What do you want to believe, the promise of God to save you and take you to the Heavenly Canaan, or the lying report that says that God is not able to save you, or that you must try to find out how to save yourself? No, those who will enter the Heavenly Canaan will enter in only by belief and faith in God’s mighty power to save; they will believe the good report of God’s love, might and power, and reject all lying reports.

What did Jesus say regarding unbelief and faith and the ability of doing the work He gave His disciples to do? (This includes His modern day disciples too, which can be you too if you want this!)

“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, ‘Why could not we cast him out?’ And Jesus said unto them, ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’” Matthew 17:19-20 KJV.

Is there a connection between faith and the Holy Spirit? If you have a lack of faith or have unbelief you can ask God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not (James 1:5) and He will give you all the faith you need by giving you the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:13 NASB. This is a most beautiful promise that Jesus and His Father want to give you. Ask for it, believe it and receive it. Dwell on the rich promises of God and of His love for you until you believe. Put away all doubt and discouragement. You may have to pray much, and keep confessing and yielding yourself to God, until you receive this for yourself.

The answer to the question ‘is there a connection between faith and the Holy Spirit’ is yes! One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is faith. Whenever someone has great faith, it has always been given to them by the Holy Spirit, but they must choose to exercise this faith, or they will lose it. Human belief is of no value, only the faith given by God will save you, but you must choose to exercise it. That is why it is so important to get the Holy Spirit in full, who will give you much faith, hope and joy! See Galatians 5:22-23 for the list of the fruits of the Spirit that God wants to give you. So if you want to have faith, and not be shut out of Heaven because of unbelief, you must get the Holy Spirit.

Many don’t see the necessity of having the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit or don’t know that they can get this for themselves. They think that what happened in the book of Acts with the early Christians only happened in the book of Acts and that it can’t happen in our day anymore or the like. And others think that they have the Holy Spirit, when they do not have Him in full if at all. There is a change in someone’s life that is impossible to hide whenever someone receives this most precious of gifts that God wants to give all who want to be Jesus’ disciple! There is much love and a gentleness that is imparted to them by God, and they will be given the victory over their bad habits and sins (or will be gaining victory by victory, day by day – not always all at once). Many do not know of their greatest need of having the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their life in full in order to help make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10), and to be happy in their love for God. This is what God wants to do for all of His people if they would seek after Him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13), to help them be all that they can be for Him. It is dangerous to go it alone without the aid that God wants to give you.

Those who wish to enter the Heavenly Canaan must believe in His many precious promises because they have learned to love Him and that He is to be trusted. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4 KJV. “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 NASB. Paul tells us here that God gave us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. Pledge of what? Pledge of the many promises of God, as Paul said at the beginning of this passage.

Therefore the connection between the faith to believe the promises of God to take you to the Heavenly Canaan depends on whether you will receive the Holy Spirit fully into your heart or not, and whether you will willingly do all that God wants you to do, because the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God. Acts 5:32. Therefore this is how you can be an overcomer and have the faith to please God and not be kept out of Heaven because of unbelief. God will make this easy for you if you will just cooperate with Him willingly. If you know that you need help in this area just pray to God, ‘Be merciful to me a sinner’, and He will help you! Amen.  Luke 18:13-14.

We are now very near the end of time. The times ahead will be very difficult. In fact, it will be impossible for anyone to make it through these times without being lost, unless they yield their heart completely to God (no one can ever save themselves, it is always by the grace of God). But God will give the needed grace and help to those who love and trust Him, like He always does, while the fearful and the doubting will be shut out forever from the gates of Heaven (shut out with all the liars, murderers, sorcerers, idolaters and the like.) – shut out because of unbelief. Therefore cast out all fear and unbelief and love God with all of your heart and mind and soul (Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 11:13-15), and accept His promised blessings that He wants to bless His people with. He will help all to overcome who want help and give them all the gifts that they need to serve Him with. He will help them to be successful and to be an overcomer. He will give them a heart to love Him all the way with (Ezekiel 11:19; 18:31; 36:26) and to love their neighbor as themselves with. Matthew 22:39. This is what God wants to do for His people, if they will let Him.

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8 KJV.  

Don’t be shut out of Heaven because of unbelief. God loves you and will give you all the faith you need to get rid of your unbelief, if you will accept it. Amen.

May the grace of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

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Lessons on Faith: Part 12 of 14: The Righteousness of God is Revealed to Faith

By A. T. Jones

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The righteousness of God is revealed to faith. Rom. 1:17.

Faith is complete dependence upon the word of God, expecting that word to do what the word itself says. Is there, then, righteousness spoken by the word of God, so that people can depend completely upon that word, that the word shall accomplish what the word says?

There is. Indeed, that is the very object of the gift of Christ. For him "God hath set forth . . . to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Rom. 3:25.

Seeing then that God hath set forth Christ expressly to declare, to speak, the righteousness of God, it is certain that the word of God has been spoken, upon which there can be complete dependence, expecting that word to do what that word says. In other words, there is righteousness that can be received by faith.

Wherein is this word spoken? It is spoken in the word "forgiveness." "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins"; "there is forgiveness with thee."

Now what is the meaning of “forgive"? The word "forgive" is composed of "for" and "give," which otherwise is give for. To forgive, therefore, is simply to give for. For the Lord to forgive sin is to give for sin. But what does the Lord give for sin? He declares "his righteousness for the remission of sins."

Therefore when the Lord forgives--gives for--sin, He gives righteousness for sin. And as the only righteousness that the Lord has is his own, it follows that the only righteousness that God gives, or can give, for sin is the righteousness of God.

This is the righteousness of God as a gift. As all men have only sinned and if they are ever clear must have forgiveness entirely free, and as the forgiveness of sin -- the righteousness of God given for sin -- is entirely free -- this is the righteousness of God as a free gift "upon all men unto justification of life." Rom. 5:18.

Every soul, therefore, who ever asks God for forgiveness of sin, in that very thing asks God to give him righteousness for sin. Every soul who asks God for forgiveness asks it solely upon the word of God, which speaks forgiveness. And faith is entire dependence upon the word for what the word speaks. Thus righteousness is altogether of faith.

"Every one that asketh receiveth." You have asked the Lord many a time to forgive your sins; that is, you have asked him to give for your sin. But when you ask the Lord to give for your sin, in that you ask him to give the only thing that He does or can give for sin, which is righteousness. That is what it is to ask forgiveness of the Lord.

And He does forgive -- He does give for -- your sins when you ask Him. He says He does, and He does. "He is faithful" -- that is, He will never fail -- "and just to forgive us our sins." And the only thing He gives for sins is His righteousness.

Then why not thank Him for the righteousness that He freely gives for your sins when you ask Him to? Do you not see that righteousness by faith is just as plain and simple as the asking God for forgiveness of sin? Indeed, it is just that.

To believe that righteousness is given for your sin, when you ask forgiveness, and thankfully to receive that righteousness as the gift of God -- this is what it is to exercise faith. 

Yet how true it is that "we suffer much trouble and grief because of our unbelief and of our ignorance of how to exercise faith." 

"Hast thou faith?" Have the faith of God. "Here are they that keep . . . the faith of Jesus." 

RH Mar. 14, 1899

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

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