John 20:11-23 Golden Text: – “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.” – 1 Cor. 15:20. While the death of Christ was the greatest event in history, his resurrection from death readily holds second place. The death of Christ without his resurrection would have left our race just as helpless and hopeless as before. The word death signifies the absence of life just as truly when applied to our Redeemer as…
We continue with the common hindrances which prevent some of the Lord’s professed followers from obtaining a full assurance of faith. (2) Even amongst those who are REAL Christians (true Disciples of Christ), and WHO HAVE MADE A FULL COVENANT OF SACRIFICE unto the Lord, we find many who say, and more who think it without saying, – “O that I could feel sure that God’s goodness and mercy would continue with me all the days of my life, and that…
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psa 23:6 The apostle Paul speaks of the full assurance of hope and of full assurance of faith, as being the proper conditions for the Lord’s people. (Heb 6:11; 10:22) And this is the thought expressed by the Prophet, in our text – full confidence that he who has begun a good work in us…
DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT SALVATIONS Here note the difference between the blessing God designed for the elect church He is selecting during this gospel age and the one he purposes for the world of mankind. The church’s blessing is NOT “restitution,” and in harmony with this we can see no evidence of restitution anywhere about us. The restitution work waits for the restitution time, which begins with the establishment of the kingdom. Believers of this present time receive, indeed, a faith equivalent…
FEW HAVE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE The means for the blessing we see provided in Christ and His bride, the elect church of the Gospel age, but the guarantee of the whole is fixed beyond peradventure in the fact that “Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death FOR EVERY MAN,” or, as our text declares, became the Mediator between God and man by giving Himself A RANSOM FOR ALL. A point I desire to emphasize here is that the giving…
A COMMON ERROR CORRECTED At this point many good people laboring under a degree of blindness, the “smoke of the dark ages,” feel disposed to object and to insist that there can be no future probation. Ask them why, their reply is that, the entire Scriptural teaching contradicts the thought of a future hope beyond the tomb. We reply that this is an error that the very reverse is true, as we shall show. We ask them for a single…
The following topic, “Ransom Implies Restitution” was the title of an address given by Pastor Russel. The Apostle Paul’s words are my text: “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2:5-6.) At another time we may consider the forepart of this text, but on this occasion invite your attention to the last clause, which explains that our…
CONSECRATION MUST BE TO GOD ONLY This same figure of baptism in water is for you and me, and it becomes an outward confession that whatever is written in the Book concerning us we will be glad to do. We rejoice to do the will of God, and desire that His will may be done in us, even as it was done in our Master. This is the only kind of sacrifice that God will accept. One says, I have…
BUT FEW FIND THE NARROW WAY God did not choose angels for this wonderful High Calling; but all who have received this Call and the begetting of the Spirit, that they may become joint-heirs with Christ, must every one receive chastening, disciplining, testing, because of the great and honorable and exalted position to which God has called them. It is such a wonderful thing that God wishes to test the loyalty and faithfulness unto death of every one who will…
The following discourse was given by the Pastor, from the text, “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps!” (1 Pet. 2:21.) “The Call of the present Gospel Age has been unique. In this Age there is a different kind of justification from that which the world will receive in the next Age. They will attain actual perfection of body, mind and morals. But now, in His manifold Wisdom God has a different…