All The Counsel of God

” … that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59: 1-2).

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3: 12).

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66: 18).

DAILY, REGULAR ANSWER TO PRAYERS SHOULD BE NORMAL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS

The normal Christian life is a life of regular, daily answers to prayer. In the model prayer, Jesus taught His disciples to pray daily for bread, and expect to get it, and to ask daily for forgiveness, for deliverance from the evil one, and for other needs, and daily to get the answers they sought.

That is the way Jesus Himself lived- in daily unhindered communion with the Father, so that He could say to His Father and our Father, ” .. .1 knew that thou hearest me always … ” (John 11 :42). All the teaching of the Lord Jesus about prayer shows that we too have a normal, day-by-day unhindered intercourse with God, asking and receiving, seeking and finding, knocking and having God open to us. He plainly said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). When we are told in James 4:2 that ” … ye have not, because ye ask not”, it is proper to infer that God intended asking to be followed by having, and that the Christian in the will of God can live day by day in the fullness of joy of having his prayers answered.

It is perfectly normal for an obedient child to ask for food every meal time and get it, get all he wants, and eat until he is perfectly satisfied. And using that figure, the Saviour said, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matt. 7: 11).

A depositor whose account is in good condition normally has every check he draws honoured by the bank. Why, then, cannot a child of God day by day draw on the bank of Heaven, have his prayers answered as a matter of course, as a daily business? He can! When a Christian fails to have his prayer-check cashed, he should regard it as proof that something is wrong that needs attention at once.

When I tum faucets on in the bathroom or kitchen, I expect water to pour forth every time. If I turned the tap and water did not come, I would be surprised. I would also know that something radically was wrong, and I would immediately set out to find out why the water did not run. If I press a light switch and the light does not shine, or if I plug in an electric motor and there is no power, I know that something is wrong, dead wrong, that the connection with the powerhouse is broken; and I set out to find what is wrong and to remedy it. Just so, every Christian ought to be in daily communion with God and ought to live the joyful life of answered prayer; and when anything hinders his prayers, the Christian ought immediately to be able to find out what is wrong and get it remedied.

Now the Scriptures above indicate that there are sins which hinder the prayers of Christians, sins that tum God’s face away so that He will not hear, yea, sins which make it so that God cannot, in righteousness, heed the cry of His own child, whom He loves! We are not left in the dark about these sins. God, in His wonderful love, has shown us in the Bible the things that grieve Him, the things that make it so He cannot answer fully our prayers.

Often we pray for daily bread or for other daily necessities, such as money for rent, or for a job, or furniture, or clothes, things for which God tells us to pray; and yet no answer comes. Christians often pray for the conversion of loved ones, pray for revivals, pray for help in temptation; all matters about which every Christian certainly has a right to pray, matters about which God has declared in His Word that He is concerned, and which He is anxious to give us; and yet Christians often do not get the answer to their prayers. Why? The answer is that many a good prayers cannot be answered by a holy God because of sins in the life and heart of the one who prays.

It may be that you have some of your prayers answered, or think you do. The dear Lord, who ” … sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), and is ” … kind unto the unthankful … ” (Luke 6:35), may give you many things that do not come because He respects your prayers and answers them, but because of His infinite mercy which is poured out even upon the vilest sinners. The God who still gives breath to the murderer, still gives food to the man who never prays, the God who gives all the bounties of nature to a sinning, Christ-rejecting race -that God still loves and cares for His children even when they live in sin and grieve His heart. So perhaps what God has been doing for you when you prayed was not at all the answer to your prayers, but just such mercies as His infinite Love and goodness provide for the most wicked of His creatures.

But whether God hears some of your prayers, or none of them, your prayers are hindered if you do not day by day live in the fullness of answered prayer so that you can sing:

Nothing between my soul and the Saviour, So that His blessed face may be seen; Nothing preventing the least of His favour, Keep the way clear- let nothing between.

Often we are painfully conscious that our prayers are not heard. Last night a man said to me as we parted at the close of the service in a great rescue mission, “Preacher, before you sleep I wish you would pray for me. My prayers never get higher than my head. God won’t hear me.” Is that your case? Do you feel, even as you call on God, that He is not pleased, that He will not hear, that there is no likelihood of your receiving the thing for which you ask? Then, oh, how important it is to clear the line between you and God so He will hear you. How important it is to confess and forsake everything that grieves the dear Holy Spirit and shuts up Heaven to your prayers and stops God’s ears!

The power of a godly home is implied throughout Scripture. Proverbs 31:10-31 is an impressive acrostic, and the unhindered prayers of 1 Peter 3:7 are ever delightful. Indeed the fact that the home relationship is made the background for the display of the love between ” … Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32) shows us how precious to God’s heart is the fellowship of husband and wife, in holy dependence on Him and His will.

When we think of Adam and his wife, we see the lack of godly order. Eve was not the ” … help meet … ” (Genesis 2: 18) that God intended her to be to her husband. 1 Timothy 2:14 tells us that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not deceived, his was a deliberate transgression and thus his responsibility is the more manifest. We have many illustrations of sad homes in Scriptures.

Solomon was turned aside by his many wives, and so was Ahab ” … whom Jezebel his wife stirred up” (1 Kings 21:25). Thanks be unto God, there have been beautiful contrasts, and the Holy Spirit emphasizes them for our joy, our praise, and our imitation.

Let us look at Abraham – yes, believing Abraham, and was not his wife believing Sarah? “Through faith also Sarah herself received strength … ” (Hebrews 11:11 ), just the same as her husband (Romans 4: 18-20). And the encouraging words are added, ” … she judged him faithful who had promised.” Such a testimony is among God’s many striking declarations concerning godly women. Some of the most impressive examples of holy service are found among them. The Apostle Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit to lay stress on Sarah as one of the” … holy women … who trusted in God … ” (1 Peter 3 :5-6). Godly Christian woman today may be viewed as walking in the same family. Thanks be to God, this family is not extinct.

In Luke, we read of Zacharias and Elisabeth, “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances ofthe Lord blameless” (Luke 1 :6). In Job, chapters 1-2, note how God makes a contrast between the faithful patriarch and his unbelieving wife. It is a privilege to be a” … help meet … ” which is the reverse of the hindrance, that husband and wife may easily become to one another.

It is refreshing to find that after the birth of John the Baptist, the father and mother were of one mind (Luke 1 :60-63), neither one was turned aside by relatives. Thanks be to God for fixity of character. John’s fidelity shines forth, emphasizing God’s approval of a godly home.

Joseph and Mary set forth a beautiful relationship to one another (Matthew 1:20-25; Matthew 2:20-23; Luke 2:41-52). The Lord Jesus in the perfection of His childhood honoured both. No words are more impressive for children than those of Luke 2:51, “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them … ” He was the mighty God; yet when He came into this world, He filled every sphere perfectly.

In the book of Acts and the Epistles, we read of Aquila and Priscilla. They are always mentioned together, and there is a remarkable placing of Prisca, or Priscilla, first on three occasions. There should be no rivalry or antipathy or jealously where God appoints or works.

It is good to ponder these graciously recorded examples of godly homes. We praise God for the witness of the unnamed overseers of Christian assemblies, chosen according to 1 Timothy 3:5-6 and 1 Timothy 3: 11-12. Ephesians 5 concerns Christ and the church and sets forth again the beauty of a Christian home. God has set high honour upon the husband and wife who follow the principles of His Word, but the joy of this blessing is not reached by mere desire. There must be a humble walk with God in the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Let us all, who own the Name of the Lord Jesus, married or unmarried, prayerfully seek that walk.

First of all, soul-winning is commanded by God. Mark 16:15,”And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”; and it is the Christian’s responsibility. To stay in existence, everything must reproduce after its own kind. Surely this includes Christianity!

Secondly, soul-winning builds character. Soul-winning is not always easy. Everyone will not gladly receive what you have to say. We should set a time to go soul-winning each week; no matter what the weather is, go! It takes character to do something no matter what the circumstances. You may be cursed, spat upon, or jeered at, but if you don’t bow or bend some will get saved, and you will be a better person because of it.

Thirdly, soul-winning gives you a chance to show Jesus how much you love Him. Jesus gave His life so that we could go to Heaven. Time is life, and if we give part of our time to Jesus, it is like giving part of our life to His work. Jesus could come down and tell everyone how to be saved, or He could send His angels, but He gave us the opportunity. We should make the most of it to show Him our love for Him and His gift to us.

Fourthly, soul-winning gives us a chance to earn rewards. The Bible says, in Proverbs 11:30, ” … he that winneth souls is wise.” The Bible promises us the earthly reward of wisdom for soul-winning!

Fifthly, it will help enlarge the kingdom of Heaven and spare souls from an eternal Hell. It will be a sad time when we see many or our friends and loved ones thrown in Hell. Many times the reason for their going there could be our failure to take time to show them from the Bible how to be saved. We are promised success if we are truly concerned for their salvation, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6).

Finally, soul-winning can help us save the nation! Our nation’s day of reckoning is fast approaching. The responsibility of preventing it lies on the shoulders of Christians.

Why don’t you share the plan of salvation with someone today. It would benefit you, them, and our nation. Let’s go soulwinning!

Beware of Drifting Along!

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 2:1)

There is nothing easier than drifting; but at the same time, there is nothing that can be more dangerous. While this holds true on any sea, it becomes even more serious when we think of life’s sea. Where few would ever dare to drift in any boat, many seem unconcerned about drifting along through life. Therefore, we need this warning from God’s Word. We need to realize the awful consequences of drifting along.

In the first place, the drifter is always going down. No one ever drifts upstream. The law of gravity applies spiritually, too. It is easy to float downstream. Oh, the many that are doing it! To go the way of the world with the crowd is the easy way of the drifter, but it is the way down to Hell itself.

The drifter not only is going down, but even worse is the fact that he is seldom aware of it. For the most part, he does not even realize that he is drifting. The drifter becomes so much like Samson of whom we read, ” … he wist not that the LORD was departed from him” (Judges 16:20). The currents that cause drifting are often barely perceptible. We drift before we know it. That is why we need to constantly keep our bearings and have our port in view.

The devil seldom urges a Christian to leave the church or give up his faith in the Lord. His strategy is more subtle than that. He just seeks to cause us to relax – to rest on the oars and drift along in our Christian life.

Are there not many Christians who have drifted into a state of coldness and indifference in this way? They have seemingly forgotten their conversion experience with its sense of guilt concerning sin and subsequent joy in coming to the Lord. The truths of sin and grace which once so strongly gripped their hearts and consciences have become so familiar that they now fall on almost deaf ears. Their “first love” for the Lord and for the souls of men has been largely left; and other things, though good and legitimate, have taken first place.

This is the peril of drifting. We must recognize it. We must beware of its deceitfulness and also realize “it can happen to me.”

Drifting along is so serious. If we continue drifting along, we will ultimately come to ruin. The waters may still seem placid, but the rapids, and finally the falls, are sure to come at last. Besides, all the time we are drifting, we are not only ruining ourselves, but we are also endangering the lives of others. Just as derelicts endanger other ships, so aimless, ambitionless, spiritual drifters are often a menace to the spiritual welfare of others.

Are you drifting along? Heed the songwriter’s plea: “Drift no longer! Let Jesus Save.”

Our Walk with the Lord Jesus Christ Amos 3:3

Walk-to live and act or behave; to pursue a particular course of life

People that walked with God pleased God

Genesis 5:22-24 – Enoch walked with God

Genesis 6:9 – Noah walked with God

Genesis 17:1 – God charges Abraham to walk before the LORD (Abraham’s response; Genesis 24:40)

The Lord requires it

What does it mean to walk with God? The word “walk” and it’s variations appear over 400 times in the Holy Bible and most of the time it doesn’t refer to literally walking with your feet, buy obeying the Lord and living in accordance to his ways and will. Micah 6:8 & Deuteronomy 10:12 – What the Lord requires of thee Exodus 16:4 – walk in his law (see Exodus 18:20, Leviticus 18:4, Deuteronomy 5:32-33) Jeremiah 7:22-24 Walk in his ways Psalm 119:1

Negative walking

Leviticus 20:23 – walk not like the nations, II Kings 17:8 Deuteronomy 8:19 – walk after other gods I Kings 15:1-5 – heart not perfect before the LORD II Kings 10:31 – didn’t walk with all of his heart II Kings 17:19 – they made up their own rules Job 31:7 – walk not after thine eyes (walk by faith not by sight II Cor 5:7)

Promises

Psalm 84:11 not withhold good things to them that walk aright

Proverbs 2:7 Shield to those that walk uprightly

Other Verses

Jeremiah 10:23 The way of man is not in himself Proverbs 13:20 Walk with the wise Hosea 14:9 The Lord’s ways are right Proverbs 14:2 Walking shows your fear of the LORD Jeremiah 6:16 Find rest unto your souls (see also Matthew 11:28-30) Jeremiah 18:11-12 On backsliding Micah 2:7 His words do good to them that walketh uprightly Luke 1:6 Walking in the commands and ordinances of God renders one blameless NT on walking Romans 8:1, 4 Walk after the Spirit Galatians 5:16 Walk in the Spirit I John 1:7 and Proverbs 16:3 Walking, committing works to God establish thoughts II John 1:6 This is love, walk in his commandments

David Livingstone, the missionary who laid down his life to open the dark continent of Africa, said, “Difficulties? What are difficulties? Just things to be overcome.”

Our day demands that every believer have this kind of victorious faith. Recently, a leading religious periodical characterized American Christianity as “lifeless, pessimistic, and defeated.” If this analysis holds even a grain of truth, there is an urgent need for people who have winning faith.

In 1 Samuel 17, we find the story of a young man who arrived at a battlefield to find the army of his nation paralyzed with fear. A boisterous representative of military might named Goliath had challenged them, and they were afraid to accept the challenge. David, the young shepherd, clothed in the lightest possible armour, strong in

the Lord, and armed with faith, decided to go into battle against this giant. David’s faith in God brought victory that day. From his experience, we learn that the believer’s dynamic power flows from faith in God.

The winner’s faith will withstand severe challenges. As young David came onto the field of combat, Goliath said to him, ” … Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field” (1 Samuel 17:44). What a challenge to David’s faith! Yet he marched on to victory.

Every day believers face severe challenges, but faith will not tum or run. As C. H. Spurgeon said, “Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.”

These challenges may come in the form of overwhelming obstacles. David was told concerning Goliath, ” … thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth” (1 Samuel17:33). The critics today say, “Why don’t you Christians give up? You will never win the world.” The obstacles may be great, but it is ours to face them in the strength of the Lord. Though everyone else stands like a stunned animal in fear and dismay, we should strive to overcome the obstacles.

These challenges may come in the form of disheartening rebukes. David’s faith was severely rebuked. David’s brother told him, ” … 1 know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart … ” (1 Samuel 17:28). Saul said, ” … Thou art not able to go against this Philistine … ” (1 Samuel 17: 33). Whenever anyone gets out of the battle line, such rebukes follow. His motives, his faithfulness, and his abilities will be questioned, but the winner’s faith will not falter.

The winner’s faith will provide unshakable confidence. No Christian should believe that he has the strength within himself to face all the battles of life. He should believe that nothing is impossible for him if God furnishes the power. David was able to say, ” … The LORD … will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine … ” (1 Samuel 17:37).

The winner’s faith will provide unshakable confidence in his God. In David’s little phrase, ” … The LORD that delivered me … ” (1 Samuel17:37, we find utmost confidence in God. The great, loving, redeeming God we serve has led us to victory over the curse of sin by saving us. Now we can believe that no need shall go unfulfilled when we trust Him to provide.

Winner’s faith will provide unshakable confidence in his cause. The cause of telling the world about Christ and perfecting the saints is even greater than that of taking away ” … the reproach from Israel…” ( 1 Samuel17 :26).

The winner’s faith will provide unshakable confidence in himself. David was able to say, “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them … ” (1 Samuel17:36). We need nothing to puff us up with pride, but we do need a quiet confidence that God can use us as channels for service.

The winner’s faith will produce sure conquest. When we live in constant doubt, we walk a treadmill; and the work we attempt to do for God never seems to bear fruit. I Samuel 17:50 gives us a thumbnail sketch of the battle between David and Goliath, “So David prevailed over the Philistine … ” David had done the impossible.

This conquest brings glory to God. ” … that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:46) should be the motive behind every victory we seek. Dawson Trotman once said, “In all that I do, I want men to see no one but Jesus.”

This conquest encourages God’s people. The armies of Israel stood in fear of the Philistines until Goliath fell, and then ” … the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines … ” (1 Samuel17:52).

F. B. Meyer was speaking in the spirit of the winner’s faith when he told his congregation, “We never test the resources of God until we attempt the impossible.” There are times when it seems that the task is too large, our abilities too small, and the world too unfriendly. These are the times for us to lay the situation squarely before God. When we do this, we, like David, can slay our “Goliaths.”

Jenny Lind, a famous singer, wrote of the day on which she discovered her powers as a singer, “I got up that morning one creature; I went to bed another creature. I had found my power.” The whole outlook of her life was transformed. She “came alive” and stepped out into the world.

In a far greater sense, the person who meets Jesus and surrenders to Him finds his life transformed, his outlook

revolutionized, his life made new. The Apostle Paul said, ” … if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5: 17).

The message of the New Testament demands a new creation, a complete and radical change in man’s nature. Education, reformation, character building- none of these is sufficient. Jesus did not come to patch up our sinful nature, to cover over our weakness, to gild our unloveliness.

Jesus came, instead, to make us new. Christ’s love changes the center of life. The power of the cross operative in our life constrains us to a new service. We should echo the testimony of Paul, who said, “For the love of Christ constraineth us … ” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This is the “henceforth” of my new life. My new life is no longer centered in self, but in Christ. My life has a new center, a new control.

If a rocket were shot into space without any effort to return it to earth, or to cause it to establish an orbit about the earth, it would wander aimlessly and without purpose through the darkness and coldness of vast space. But if it were to establish an orbit about the warm sun, the darkness and coldness would be dispelled, and it would receive the benefits of light and warmth- it would be moving around the source of life. When we do not have Christ as the center of our lives, we are as the rocket aimlessly wandering through the darkness and chill. We are free to roam, but what good does our freedom do us? But centered in Christ, we enjoy the light of warmth of His presence.

The one who is growing in Christ, who has Christ as the center of his life and who is victorious over sin, is to go on to useful service. ” … from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10), Jesus said to three of His disciples. In the new Christian life you are to be a soulwinner. Probably you will not see thousands turn to the Lord, as did Peter on the day of Pentecost, but if you so live and so witness that even one soul is in Heaven because of you, you can rejoice throughout eternity.

G “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

0 “0 come, let us sing unto the Lord … ” (Psalm 95: 1 ).

0 “Our help is in the name of the LoRD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8)

D “Delight thyself also in the LoRD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 3 7:4 ).

N “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13: 13 ).

E “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise … ” (Psalm 1 00:4).

W “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith … ” (1 Corinthians 16: 13).

S “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

The coming of God in the flesh is essential to eternal redemption for mankind. Anyone born into this world receives Adamic life and an Adamic nature, for the purpose of expression and fellowship with life as found in this present world. But this present life and world is under the judgment and curse of Almighty God. This condemnation has come because of sin. You and I must be delivered from this present kingdom of darkness, sin, and Satan into the kingdom of God, or we will not have life eternal. The question that confronts all who are in this life is how to escape the judgment of God that abides upon those who are confined in the kingdom of darkness. We entered this kingdom of darkness by being born into it. One enters the kingdom of God by means of the new birth.

The Lord Jesus, in John 3:3, says that to be born of the flesh and not of the Spirit means one cannot see the kingdom of God, hence the absolute need of the new birth. Unless one is born the second time while still living in this life, he will not see nor enter into the kingdom of God.?

MAN’S WAYS ARE NOT GOD’S WAYS

Many individuals who have become aware of sin and its problems have devised many ways, to their own liking, to escape the judgment at death and to enter into salvation in the life to come. But man’s ways are only a continuation of the way of death and darkness. In order to escape the inevitable result of this present life into which we have been born, God says we need to be born again- by the Spirit of God- that we might enter into His kingdom of light and life. The Lord Jesus Christ, knowing and recognizing these truths and principles,spoke to Nicodemus and said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:6-7).

How did this Teacher, Jesus Christ, know this? Was He just smarter than those living at His time? Did He come upon a truth that others had overlooked? What is the answer to this situation? You and I might speculate and reason on this for some time, but even if we were to hit on the truth of the matter, we would not know it as the truth because ” … the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” ( 1 Corinthians 2: 14).

The kingdom of darkness into which we have come by our first birth, which is a natural, adamic birth, can only be overcome by a second birth which is “from above.” The second birth will cause the first one to be laid aside by death that the second may continue for eternity. Hence by means of a second birth and that “from above”(heavenly), one born into the kingdom of darkness can now be translated into the kingdom of light. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10: 13).

Jesus said in John 14:6, ” .. .1 am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” He is the Way; He is the Truth; He is the Life. He came to this world of darkness for the purpose of giving to mankind ” … the way, the truth, and the life …. ” Who is this person called Jesus the Christ?

CHRIST WAS GOD IN THE FLESH

Jesus the Christ, according to the Bible, is God in the flesh. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

William H. Bowler, in his book, The Virgin Birth, states, “God will not permit any controversy on this matter. This is an ‘either-or’ statement. Either you believe God, or you call Him a liar. There is no middle ground, and no controversy about it, and no room for human interpretation or opinion!” Again he states, “If Jesus Christ were not the Son of God and God the Son, then the cross of Calvary was only a sham, and the death of Christ was only the death of one who was deceived. If Jesus Christ were not the virgin-born Son of God, then His blood could never cleanse from sin. The Bible says that we are redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:19). But if Jesus Christ were not virgin-born, His blood would have no more value than your blood! Do you see what difference it makes whether or not we believe in the virgin birth and deity of Christ? It makes the difference between Heaven and Hell!”

In John 1: 1, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then in verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Jesus the Christ is God in human form. Philippians 2:5-8 very clearly presents this truth, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, 0 God” (Hebrews 1 0:4-7).

CHRIST’S BODY HAD TO BE SINLESS

The Scriptures teach that God was manifest to mankind in a body of flesh. It was in that body that Christ bore our sins to Calvary. It was the blood shed from that body that cleanses from sin (Hebrews 10:4).

In the Incarnation of God, the kind of body is important. It must be a sinless body. The record of Scripture is that God has used four ways to produce human bodies:

1. By the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).

2. By the rib from Adam (Genesis 2:22).

3. By uniting man and woman (Genesis4:1).

4. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the virgin (Matthew 1:20).

The last or fourth way is known as the “seed of the woman.” This is the manner of providing the body for the Christ. Genesis 3: 15 states, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” God is here saying that by the Seed of the woman, He will overcome Satan. The Redeemer is to be of human form, derived from the woman. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The angelic messenger to Joseph, in Matthew 1:20-21, states, “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”

CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS

The doctrine of Scripture as to the Incarnation is that God took upon Himself a human body. That body was without sin, for it was conceived by the Holy Ghost of the virgin Mary. God in that body lived the kind of life His Word commanded us to live. Then, at Calvary, he paid the price of our sins by the shedding of His blood on our behalf. Praise God, we now have a Saviour in the person of Jesus the Christ who lived for us in the flesh, a life without sin, and then died for the sin we had committed. Only God could be that kind of Saviour!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1 :1-2).

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 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. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:8-14 ).

The greatest event that has ever taken place in the history of the world was the coming into it of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind. The first promise of the coming of a Saviour is found in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” In Isaiah 7:14, we learn that He was to be born of a virgin, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”; and in Isaiah 9:6, we are told that ” … his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The MightyGod, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” God honoured Micah and Daniel in allowing them to tell where and when He would be born, (Micah 5; Daniel 9). As we know, the birth of Christ took place as foretold by the Old Testament prophets.

The story of the birth of Jesus is simply told, and it is the “sweetest story ever told.” The angels proclaimed it; the shepherds heard and believed it. They said one to another, ” … Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (Luke 2:15). As a result of their trip to Bethlehem, we are told that they ” … returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen,as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20).

People have been told the story of the birth of Jesus ever since that first Christmas Day. Many have believed it and accepted Christ as Saviour, and they, too, have glorified and praised God continually for

this wonderful Saviour. Down through the ages the saints have sung His praises and have told the glad news of salvation from sin through His atoning work on the cross, and souls have been saved and born again as a result of their testimony.

Oh, let the glad news ring out! “The story of salvation repeat over and over,” for there are countless multitudes who have never heard it. When the angels announced His birth, the humble shepherds hastened to Bethlehem to worship and adore. The wise men saw His star in the East, and they traveled weary miles to behold Him, and to lay their gifts at His feet. Centuries have rolled by since that glad day, and history has repeated itself many times. For the plain people of earth, the unlearned, and the children have sought and found Him, and the wise and learned, many of them, have received the news of salvation with glad hearts, have left all, and followed Him.

The world was steeped in sin; it needed a Saviour. The world today is still steeped in sin, and men still need the redeeming grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many are accepting Him, praise God! Jeremiah the prophet said, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). It is from the Word of God that men learn of Christ, the Saviour of mankind. How glad and thankful we who love Him and are giving out the Word should be, in doing what we can to tell others “the sweetest story every told.” This story of the One who was to be called ” … JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 ), is being told to men of every race and country.

Men, alas, are still sinning against God, even as they were when the Saviour came nineteen hundred years ago. But let us keep reminding them of Romans 6:23, which says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”